Ignatius L Hoops
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Renewing a Rivalry from Years Past
“What a game for women’s basketball; what a game for the state of Iowa!”, Drake’s (1-2) head coach Jeannie Barancyzk remarked following the Bulldogs 97-103 loss to the Iowa in Des Moines. No, Barancyzk wasn’t pleased about the Hawkeyes 6’ freshman guard, Caitlin Clark, going off for 30 points and 13 assists. Nor did she like watching post Monika Czinano drop 27 points on 11-13 shooting. However, Drake won’t be the only victim of this season’s Clark and Czinano show.
On the positive side, Barancyzk was pleased about Drake’s big three stepping up to the challenge. 6’0” sophomore post player and Missouri transfer, Grace Berg, was a thorn in the Hawkeyes side all night. Berg scored 26 points on 12-17 shooting including a three pointer. Junior Guard Kierra Collier shot 7-9 from behind the arc on her way to 25 points. If that wasn’t enough, Collier also dished out 10 assists. And senior guard, Maddie Monahan from Glencoe-Silver Lake scored 23. Iowa needed to outscore Drake 38-29 in the fourth quarter to emerge with the victory.
Barancyzk cited tempo as the key to Drakes play. Against Iowa, the tempo was right all night. The Bulldogs love an up tempo style and play it with 10 players averaging more than 10 minutes a game. In the first outing of the season against Creighton in Omaha, the Bulldogs ran the Blue Jays off the court in the first half leading 50-33 before coasting to a 75-62 win. Berg dominated post play with 24 points and 7 rebounds. Collier (12 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds) and Monahan (13 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds) were solid.
The high of the Creighton win was short lived. Drake traveled to UW Green Bay but apparently quarantined their shooting touch in Omaha. The Bulldogs shot 34.4% from the field and were 6-38 from three. Nevertheless, Drake led the Phoenix 51-50 at the end of three before UWGB controlled the fourth winning 69-61. Monahan led the Bulldogs with 16 while Berg and Collier finished with 16. All in all it was a grubby low energy loss which reminded everyone that the Bulldogs are minus three starters from last season’s club.
Drake has been on quite a roll. Over the last eight years, head coach Jennie Barancyzk’s squad steadily climbed the ladder of national attention. In her first season (2012-13) the Bulldogs were 5-13 in the Missouri Valley Conference. In her second they were 9-9. Then, over the next six seasons, the Bulldogs really became Bulldogs with MVC records of: 15-3, 14-4, 18-0, 18-0, 17-1 and 14-4. This equated to two WNIT’s followed by three consecutive NCAA tourney appearances.
The run of six 20 win seasons keeps Barancyzk’s name prominent on “coaches to hire lists”. It’s possible the former Iowa forward (2000-04) simply wants to follow Lisa Bluder’s Drake-to-Iowa path. Bluder had a successful ten year run as Bulldog head coach before settling into her now 20 plus year Hawkeye run.
For now, Drake has been replaced as the MVC’s best team by Missouri State, (a team we remember spoiling last season’s Gopher opener). But, it’s not just Missouri State challenging the Bulldogs, Drake was projected for fourth in the MVC behind Missouri State, Bradley and Northern Iowa. The two returning starters, Monahan and Collier plus Berg, the transfer, obviously have their sights set much higher.
The Matchup:
Well…Drake has a pretty full toolbox, while many of Minnesota’s tools are still locked in the toolshed. Certainly the Bulldogs have something planned to contain Kadi Sissoko and Jasmine Powell. Against Iowa’s Caitlin Clark the announcers said Barancyzk had a different player guard her on each possession. I suppose it minimized the foul trouble. And we should note that Drake can match the Gopher’s height if needed. (Monica Burich is 6’2”, Maggie Bair is 6’3” and Allie Wooldridge is 6’1”). The Bulldogs have more than just up tempo guards. In any scenario, Sissoko and Powell pretty much must win their battles for a Gopher victory. We can also hope Drake expended a lot of energy in the “what a game!” match up with the Hawkeyes.
Minnesota Connections:
In addition to Maddie Monahan from Glencoe-Silver Lake, the Bulldogs have 5’11” guard Taylor McAulay from Centennial and 6’2” F Monica Burich from Roseville.
Minnesota/EIU Series History:
Drake and Minnesota have a long history; but not a recent one. Drake holds the series edge 8-6. However, the most recent two games were in December 2004 (a 74-57 Gopher victory at Williams) and in November 2003 (73-50 Gopher victory in Des Moines). Then you must skip back to the eighties for more Gopher/Bulldog action.
When the Head Coaches were Players:
Drake's Jennie Barancyzk (Lillis) was a solid forward for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2000-04. In 2003, Whalen and Lillis faced each other three times.
The first game in January 2003 was a 94-65 Gopher win at Williams. Lillis, 6 points and 4 rebounds was out shown by Whalen, 23 points and 9 rebounds. The return match-up in Iowa was also a Minnesota win, 77-60. Lillis posted 22 points and 8 rebounds pretty much matching Lindsay 24 points and 5 rebounds. There was a third meeting in the B1G Tournament with the Hawkeyes prevailing 80-77 behind Lillis’s 15 points and 13 rebounds. Whalen posted 22 and 1.
In 2004, the teams split two meetings. In the first, a 75-61 Gopher win, Whalen scored 28 points and collected 1 rebound. Lillis contributed 10 and 6. In Iowa City, with Whalen sidelined by injury, it was all Hawkeyes 81-61. Lillis scored 16 points while grabbing 9 rebounds.
Probable Starters (This Season’s Stats):
Bench (This Season’s Stats):
“What a game for women’s basketball; what a game for the state of Iowa!”, Drake’s (1-2) head coach Jeannie Barancyzk remarked following the Bulldogs 97-103 loss to the Iowa in Des Moines. No, Barancyzk wasn’t pleased about the Hawkeyes 6’ freshman guard, Caitlin Clark, going off for 30 points and 13 assists. Nor did she like watching post Monika Czinano drop 27 points on 11-13 shooting. However, Drake won’t be the only victim of this season’s Clark and Czinano show.
On the positive side, Barancyzk was pleased about Drake’s big three stepping up to the challenge. 6’0” sophomore post player and Missouri transfer, Grace Berg, was a thorn in the Hawkeyes side all night. Berg scored 26 points on 12-17 shooting including a three pointer. Junior Guard Kierra Collier shot 7-9 from behind the arc on her way to 25 points. If that wasn’t enough, Collier also dished out 10 assists. And senior guard, Maddie Monahan from Glencoe-Silver Lake scored 23. Iowa needed to outscore Drake 38-29 in the fourth quarter to emerge with the victory.
Barancyzk cited tempo as the key to Drakes play. Against Iowa, the tempo was right all night. The Bulldogs love an up tempo style and play it with 10 players averaging more than 10 minutes a game. In the first outing of the season against Creighton in Omaha, the Bulldogs ran the Blue Jays off the court in the first half leading 50-33 before coasting to a 75-62 win. Berg dominated post play with 24 points and 7 rebounds. Collier (12 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds) and Monahan (13 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds) were solid.
The high of the Creighton win was short lived. Drake traveled to UW Green Bay but apparently quarantined their shooting touch in Omaha. The Bulldogs shot 34.4% from the field and were 6-38 from three. Nevertheless, Drake led the Phoenix 51-50 at the end of three before UWGB controlled the fourth winning 69-61. Monahan led the Bulldogs with 16 while Berg and Collier finished with 16. All in all it was a grubby low energy loss which reminded everyone that the Bulldogs are minus three starters from last season’s club.
Drake has been on quite a roll. Over the last eight years, head coach Jennie Barancyzk’s squad steadily climbed the ladder of national attention. In her first season (2012-13) the Bulldogs were 5-13 in the Missouri Valley Conference. In her second they were 9-9. Then, over the next six seasons, the Bulldogs really became Bulldogs with MVC records of: 15-3, 14-4, 18-0, 18-0, 17-1 and 14-4. This equated to two WNIT’s followed by three consecutive NCAA tourney appearances.
The run of six 20 win seasons keeps Barancyzk’s name prominent on “coaches to hire lists”. It’s possible the former Iowa forward (2000-04) simply wants to follow Lisa Bluder’s Drake-to-Iowa path. Bluder had a successful ten year run as Bulldog head coach before settling into her now 20 plus year Hawkeye run.
For now, Drake has been replaced as the MVC’s best team by Missouri State, (a team we remember spoiling last season’s Gopher opener). But, it’s not just Missouri State challenging the Bulldogs, Drake was projected for fourth in the MVC behind Missouri State, Bradley and Northern Iowa. The two returning starters, Monahan and Collier plus Berg, the transfer, obviously have their sights set much higher.
The Matchup:
Well…Drake has a pretty full toolbox, while many of Minnesota’s tools are still locked in the toolshed. Certainly the Bulldogs have something planned to contain Kadi Sissoko and Jasmine Powell. Against Iowa’s Caitlin Clark the announcers said Barancyzk had a different player guard her on each possession. I suppose it minimized the foul trouble. And we should note that Drake can match the Gopher’s height if needed. (Monica Burich is 6’2”, Maggie Bair is 6’3” and Allie Wooldridge is 6’1”). The Bulldogs have more than just up tempo guards. In any scenario, Sissoko and Powell pretty much must win their battles for a Gopher victory. We can also hope Drake expended a lot of energy in the “what a game!” match up with the Hawkeyes.
Minnesota Connections:
In addition to Maddie Monahan from Glencoe-Silver Lake, the Bulldogs have 5’11” guard Taylor McAulay from Centennial and 6’2” F Monica Burich from Roseville.
Minnesota/EIU Series History:
Drake and Minnesota have a long history; but not a recent one. Drake holds the series edge 8-6. However, the most recent two games were in December 2004 (a 74-57 Gopher victory at Williams) and in November 2003 (73-50 Gopher victory in Des Moines). Then you must skip back to the eighties for more Gopher/Bulldog action.
When the Head Coaches were Players:
Drake's Jennie Barancyzk (Lillis) was a solid forward for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2000-04. In 2003, Whalen and Lillis faced each other three times.
The first game in January 2003 was a 94-65 Gopher win at Williams. Lillis, 6 points and 4 rebounds was out shown by Whalen, 23 points and 9 rebounds. The return match-up in Iowa was also a Minnesota win, 77-60. Lillis posted 22 points and 8 rebounds pretty much matching Lindsay 24 points and 5 rebounds. There was a third meeting in the B1G Tournament with the Hawkeyes prevailing 80-77 behind Lillis’s 15 points and 13 rebounds. Whalen posted 22 and 1.
In 2004, the teams split two meetings. In the first, a 75-61 Gopher win, Whalen scored 28 points and collected 1 rebound. Lillis contributed 10 and 6. In Iowa City, with Whalen sidelined by injury, it was all Hawkeyes 81-61. Lillis scored 16 points while grabbing 9 rebounds.
Probable Starters (This Season’s Stats):
| HGT | POS | YR | PLAYER | MIN | AVG | REB |
| 5’6” | G | RJr | Kierra Collier | 30.3 | 15.7 | 5.3 |
| 5’8” | G | Sr | Maddie Monahan | 31.0 | 17.3 | 2.0 |
| 5’8” | G | Sr | Hannah Fuller | 17.0 | 0.0 | 2.5 |
| 6’2” | F | Gr | Monica Burich | 20.7 | 7.3 | 7.0 |
| 6’0” | F | RSo | Grace Berg | 31.7 | 20.0 | 6.3 |
Bench (This Season’s Stats):
| HGT | POS | YR | PLAYER | MIN | AVG | REB |
| 6’0” | F | Jr | Alli Woolridge | 18.0 | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| 5’10” | G | Jr | Maggie Negaard | 18.0 | 3.0 | 1.7 |
| 5’11” | G | RFr | Taylor McAulay | 10.7 | 0.7 | 1.3 |
| 6’3” | F | So | Maggie Bair | 5.7 | 4.0 | 2.3 |
