Ingle sparks No. 20 Drake women to MVC Tournament title

Posted March 12, 2017 7:00 am

The Associated Press

Drake players celebrate after defeating Northern Iowa during an NCAA college basketball game for the Missouri Valley Conference tournament title Sunday, March 12, 2017, in Moline, Ill. Drake defeated Northern Iowa in overtime, 74-69. (Meg McLaughlin/The Dispatch via AP) The Associated Press

MOLINE, Ill. (AP) - Caitlin Ingle's jumper sent the game into overtime where she scored five points and led No. 20 Drake over Northern Iowa 74-69 on Sunday for the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship and the Bulldogs' conference-record 22nd consecutive victory.

The top-seeded Bulldogs (28-4) were making their 12th tournament title-game appearance, winning their sixth championship and first since 2007. They advance to the NCAA Tournament for the 11th time with their 28 victories matching the program record set in 1981-82.

Ingle, the tournament MVP and the conference's all-time assists leader, scored a career-high 22 points, with seven assists and six rebounds.

With 5.5 seconds left in regulation, Ellie Herzberg came off a screen, took a pass from Madison Weekly and hit a 3-pointer to give UNI (24-8) the lead. After a timeout, Ingle made her tying jumper from the free-throw line.

In overtime, Herzberg and Becca Jonas exchanged 3-pointers before Ingle was fouled while scoring on a drive and completed the 3-point play. Ingle added a short bank shot before Becca Hittner made a free throw for a six-point edge. Herzberg made her fifth and final 3-pointer with 23 seconds left before Drake's Lizzy Wendell capped the scoring with two free throws.

Hittner made three 3-pointers and scored 15 points, Jonas added 10 points and 11 rebounds and Wendell, who scored 34 points in a semifinal win over Wichita State, finished with 13 points.

Herzberg scored 25 points for the second-seeded Panthers with Angie Davison adding four 3-pointers in scoring 17 points with 11 rebounds. Weekly scored 10 points with seven assists and Megan Maahs 15 rebounds.

The victory was the third for Drake over UNI this season, including a double-overtime victory.

The Bulldogs were behind by 13 in the second quarter, their largest deficit against a MVC opponent this season, and trailed 39-29 at halftime. UNI opened the third with a 1-for-10 shooting drought and Drake, on a 19-3 run spanning the second and third quarters, grabbed a lead until UNI went back on top 50-48 heading into the final period.

Drake's Becca Jonas (35) reacts after a Drake basket sent the NCAA college basketball game against Northern Iowa for the Missouri Valley Conference tournament title into overtime Sunday, March 12, 2017, in Moline, Ill. Drake defeated Northern Iowa 74-69. (Meg McLaughlin/The Dispatch via AP) The Associated Press

Drake's Becca Hittner, left, tries to get around Northern Iowa's Hannah Schonhardt during an NCAA college basketball game for the Missouri Valley Conference tournament title Sunday, March 12, 2017, in Moline, Ill. Drake defeated Northern Iowa in overtime, 74-69. (Brian Achenbach/The Dispatch via AP) The Associated Press

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