Drake’s unbeaten start ended in Chicago. Illinois-Chicago erased a 10-point second half Bulldog lead in a 74-70 victory. It is Drake’s first loss of the season. Bulldog coach Ben McCollum…

McCollum says the Bulldogs did not play the way that made them successful.

The Bulldogs fall to 12-1 overall.

The 23rd ranked Iowa Hawkeye women used a 9-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to take command in an 80-68 win at Penn State, Wednesday. The Hawkeyes outscored the Lady Lions 25-13 in the final frame.

That’s Iowa coach Jan Jensen who says depth was a factor. The Hawkeyes got 33 points from their bench.

Taylor McCabe came off the bench to lead the Hawkeyes with 17 points, including five of eight from three point range.

The ACGC Chargers girls basketball team is looking to build on a fantastic start heading into 2025. The Chargers are undefeated with a 6-0 record with four conference wins. They have won all but one of their games by double digits and have not allowed more than 42 points in any of their games. Although there is a lot to be impressed with, head coach Brad Baudler has been most impressed with his team’s mindset

A trio of Chargers have emerged to lead the way for ACGC. Shay Lemke leads the team in assists averaging 8.2 per game while also scoring 13 per game. Meanwhile, leading the team in scoring is Camdyn Richter who is averaging 18.3 points per game. Baudler says her ability to get up court and her hard work have set her apart.

Another standout for the Chargers has been sophomore Stella Largent. In addition to putting up 10.5 points per game, she has also excelled on defense despite being put in the high traffic area.

Despite being off to a near perfect start, Baudler and the Chargers know that there are still things to work on.  Amongst other things, limiting turnovers will be a key improvement for ACGC coming out of the break.

Although the break for the Chargers extends into next week, they will come back to a tough challenge in Des Moines Christian. The Lions are 6-3 and sit right behind first place ACGC in WCAC standing. Baudler is excited for the game and the opportunity it provides.

Tipoff is schedule for Jan. 7th at 6 pm.

Third ranked Iowa State opened Big 12 play with a hard fought win on the road. The Cyclones hauled down 20 offensive rebounds in a 79-69 win at Colorado. The Cyclones had beaten the Buffaloes by 28 points at a tournament in Maui.

That’s Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger who says the Cyclones closed the game out with solid defense at crunch time.

Curtis Jones scored 20 points as the Cyclones move to 11-1.

Iowa’s offense unraveled in the second half and Missouri took advantage in the Music City Bowl.

Gary Dolphin and Pat Angerer on the Hawkeye Network as Iowa’s threat was stuffed on fourth and one. The Tigers scored the final 13 points in a 27-24 win in Nashville.

That’s Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz. It was the final game for an Iowa senior class that played in two Big Ten championship games.

The Hawkeyes finish 8-5 and there will be significant losses on defense and along the offensive line.

Ferentz says they will keep their eye on the transfer portal but the core of next year’s team is currently on campus.

With star running back Kaleb Johnson opting out Kamari Moulton and Jaz Patterson combined for 170 yards. Moulton had a game high 96 yards on 14 carries and feels he made major strides this season.

Kaden Wetjen returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. He also had two catches and likes the future of the Iowa offense.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. –Senior guard Katie Dinnebier added to her red-hot run through the month of December with her third straight Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week award, the league announced today.

Drake’s Katie Dinnebier had another sensational week for the Bulldogs, leading Drake in a convincing road victory at Evansville. Dinnebier poured in 32 points, her second-straight game with that scoring total, and notched her fourth 30-point outing of the year and sixth of her career. She added eight assists, six rebounds, and three steals, and her offensive output came on 12-of-15 shooting, just one-made basket shy of tying her single-game career high. Dinnebier is now second in The Valley with 19.8 points per game and leads the league with an average of 7.3 assists per game.

Dinnebier has now won four MVC Player of the Week honors this season.

MVC Women’s Basketball Weekly Award Winner – Dec. 30
Player of the Week – Katie Dinnebier, Drake
Newcomer of the Week – Gift Uchenna, Southern Illinois
Freshman of the Week – Camryn Runner, Evansville

Dinnebier and the Bulldogs will return to the court this weekend as they are set to open their home MVC slate with bouts against UIC (Jan. 2) and Valparaiso (Jan. 4).