Dixon nets a record; Hawks win a thriller

DES MOINES - Melissa Dixon netted a school-record 10 3-pointers, and the Iowa Hawkeyes needed every last one of them.

Samantha Logic hit a running, one-handed shot with 3 seconds left, and 24th-ranked Iowa dodged a late Drake rally to edge the Bulldogs, 100-98, in an intrastate women's basketball thriller Sunday afternoon at the Knapp Center.

'I was just trying to attack the rim,” Logic said. 'I wanted us to get an easy shot. And I wanted us to get the last shot.”

Drake's Caitlin Ingle was short on a 35-foot heave at the buzzer, and Iowa (9-2) escaped to beat Drake (5-6) for the 13th straight time.

Dixon hit 10 of 14 shots - all from long range, all in the first 28 minutes. The Hawkeyes prevailed despite a 43-point outburst by Drake sophomore Lizzy Wendell, a Drake record (women's or men's) at the Knapp Center.

'Obviously we played a very good basketball team,” said Drake Coach Jennie Baranczyk, who played at Iowa as Jennie Lillis. 'They had to be at their very best today to beat us,”

Iowa led by eight points with less than 2 minutes to play, but the Bulldogs (5-6) refused to fold.

'I want to give high praise to Drake,” said Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder. 'They came ready to play, not that we didn't.

'Both defensive coaches should be fired.”

After Dixon made the first of two free throws with 15 seconds left to put Iowa up 98-95, Wendell took a pass on the right wing, stepped back while taking two dribbles, and drilled the tying trey.

Iowa took timeout, then got the ball to Logic. She streaked downcourt and made a tough 10-footer for what turned out to be the game-winner.

'I don't think overtime was a very good option,” Logic said. 'I was tired.”

Bluder said, 'We want the ball in her hands. Our first look was Sam. Our second look was Melissa.”

Neither option was a bad one.

The previous Iowa record for 3-pointers was seven, hit five times (including twice by Dixon). She hit her eighth with 15:50 to go. Her ninth came with Iowa trailing 63-57 and triggered a 14-2 run. Her 10th completed that run and put the Hawkeyes up 71-65 with 11:51 left.

'My teammates did a good job finding me against their zone,” Dixon said. 'Bethany (Doolittle) is such a good passer in the middle.”

This was a track meet from the start, and both teams hit 13 treys (Iowa in 22 attempts, Drake in 32).

All five Iowa starters reached double-figures with Dixon leading way with 31 points, one short of her career-high.

Logic posted 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Ally Disterhoft added 18 points, Whitney Jennings 16, Doolittle 15.

Wendell's previous career high was 35 points. Ten of Sunday's 43 came in the final 1:38 as Drake erased a 90-82 deficit.

'It's hard (losing),” she said. 'But we definitely grew as a team today.”

Becca Jonas added 19 points and 13 rebounds; Ingle registered 17 points and 10 assists.

Ingle took the inbounds pass after Logic's tie-breaker, scurried upcourt and got a clean look just inside the halfcourt line, but it fell short.

The game featured six ties and 18 lead changes (15 in the first half). Drake led, 48-43, at intermission.

Iowa opens Big Ten play next Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena against Penn State. Drake is at Loyola in its Missouri Valley Conference opener Jan. 2.

IOWA 100, DRAKE 98

At Des Moines

IOWA (100): Bethany Doolittle 6-11 3-7 15, Ally Disterhoft 6-11 5-8 18, Whitney Jennings 5-8 5-7 16, Melissa Dixon 10-14 1-2 31, Samantha Logic 7-13 3-3 18, Alexa Kastanek 0-4 0-0 0, Claire Till 0-1 0-0 0, Christina Buttenham 0-0 0-0 0, Kali Peschel 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 35-64 17-27 100.

DRAKE (98): Lizzy Wendell 15-24 6-6 43, Liza Heap 1-4 0-1 2, Becca Jonas 7-9 4-4 19, Caitlin Ingle 8-22 1-3 17, Cortni Rush 0-0 0-0 0, Carly Grenfell 2-3 2-2 8, Paige Greiner 0-2 0-0 0, Maddy Dean 3-7 0-0 9. Totals 36-71 13-16 98.

Halftime: Drake 48, Iowa 43. 3-pointers: Iowa 13-22 (Disterhoft 1-3, Jennings 1-1, Dixon 10-14, Logic 1-3, Kastanek 0-1), Drake 13-32 (Wendell 7-11, Heap 0-3, Jonas 1-2, Ingle 0-4), Grenfell 2-3, Greiner 0-2, Dean 3-7). Team fouls: Iowa 16, Drake 22. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Iowa 32 (Logic 11), Drake 42 (Jonas 13). Assists: Iowa 19 (Logic 8), Drake 19 (Ingle 10). Steals: Iowa 7 (Logic 2), Drake 7 (Heap 4). Turnovers: Iowa 11, Drake 12.

Attendance: 3,130.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com