CHICAGO, Ill. – Drake leaned on their star point guard on Saturday as the Bulldogs' 2024-25 regular season schedule wrapped up in the Windy City. Dinnebier and the Dogs overcame a slow start to douse the host Flames, 69-49.
 
UIC jumped out to a 9-0 lead off the jump thanks to a controlling defense. The Flames forced two uncharacteristic air balls from Katie Dinnebier and Courtney Becker and caused four turnovers, which drew a timeout from Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman. Dinnebier eventually snapped the Dogs' scoreless start with a driving lay-in with just over five and a half minutes gone in the first period. Dinnebier penetrated again on the next possession, but this time dished to Anna Miller on the block for another deuce. The league's leading scorer continued to guide Drake back into the action with a deep triple.
 
Miller connected twice from the free throw marker to draw even at 11 before Abbie Aalsma put the Dogs in front for the first time with a 3-pointer of her own. UIC was held scoreless over the final three minutes of the quarter as Drake put together its second 7-0 run of the first stanza and led 14-11 after one.
 
Offense remained at a premium for both squads in the second quarter, but Drake maintained a slight lead midway through the period. Shannon Fornshell inserted herself with five straight points including a traditional 3-point play.
 
The Flames were able to string together a few scores as the first half clock shrank under a minute. Both teams had a possession. In the final moments but neither could get a shot to fall as the Bulldogs led 24-20 at the half.
 
The second half started as physically as the first, which played right into UIC's preferred style. The Flames erased the 4-point halftime difference two minutes into the third quarter when Keimari Rimmer spun a 3-ball in from the corner pocket. Drake bounced right back, though, and ripped off an 11-0 run punctuated by a double-clutch buzzer-beating three from Dinnebier and Brooklin Dailey transition bucket. The Bulldogs lead grew into double figures for the first time as UIC head coach Ashleen Bracey opted for a timeout.
 
Despite the extended lead, Drake could not quite pull away from the Flames. UIC benefitted from a pair old fashioned threes to get their deficit back down to eight. Dinnebier had other ideas, however, and scored three straight points to make it 43-32 in favor of the Dogs ahead of the final quarter.
 
Dinnebier's productive day continued in the fourth period with another pure 3-pointer. She then assisted Anna Miller in transition as the senior forward reached double figures for the afternoon. Miller's fast break basket prompted another UIC timeout as Drake's lead ballooned to 17 points. Dinnebier proceeded to score again on the first Bulldog trip after the pause, giving her 22 points in the second half and 30 for the game. It marked her 11th 30-plus point game of the season, the most in the NCAA in that category.
 
UIC did its best to claw back within reach, but the Bulldog lead was too wide, and the game timer was too short. Aalsma hammered the final nail in the coffin on Saturday with a trey from the wing to reach the 69-49 final tally.
 
"What a great response by our team at different points in the game. To start as slow as we did then come together in a timeout and choose to make a change…our defense really stood up. On a day when our offense wasn't really flowing, we did a nice job digging in and getting stops.
 
Katie Dinnebier finished with 32 points, nine assists, four rebounds, three steals, five 3-pointers, and a career best three blocks. Saturday marked Dinnebier's fifth straight 30-plus point game. She also tied former Bulldog Jan Jensen on the Bulldogs' all-time scoring list with 1,996 career points.
 
Anna Miller scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Drake on the glass. Elsewhere, Abbie Aalsma logged nine points, all of which from beyond the 3-point arc, and Ava Hawthorne distributed five assists.
 
The Bulldogs will now travel to Evansville, Ind. for the 2025 MVC Women's Basketball Tournament next week. Drake's seeding and first round matchup is to be determined.
 
 
NOTES

• Drake improved to 21-10 overall including a 15-5 record in the Missouri Valley Conference.
• Drake is now 10-4 in road games this season.
• Drake shot just 54 percent (27-50) from the field, improving to 16-2 when shooting 45 percent or better this season.
• Drake outrebounded UIC 33-29.
• The Bulldogs outscored the Flames 36-26 in the paint.
• Katie Dinnebier finished with 32 points, nine assists, four rebounds, three steals, five 3-pointers, and a career best three blocks.
• Dinnebier scored 30-plus points for the 11th time this season, adding to her NCAA lead in that category.
• Saturday marked Dinnebier's fifth straight 30-plus point game.
• She also tied former Bulldog Jan Jensen on the Bulldogs' all-time scoring list with 1,996 career points.
• Anna Miller scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Drake on the glass.
• Miller ended the 2024-25 regular season slate just two rebounds shy of 1,000 for her career. She now has 998 career boards.
• Elsewhere, Abbie Aalsma logged nine points, all of which from beyond the 3-point arc, and Ava Hawthorne distributed five assists.
• Drake is now 10-2 all-time versus UIC. The Bulldogs have won the last four meetings and are 3-2 when battling in Chicago.