Northern Iowa's Maya McDermott burns Drake again with second buzzer beater
Locked in another intense in-state battle, Maya McDermott was the hero once again.
The Northern Iowa guard swished home a floater — yes, floater — from just inside the arc to give the Panthers a crazy 49-47 win over Drake Wednesday night at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls. McDermott hit a similar shot, albeit not as deep, to beat Drake at the horn in Des Moines earlier this season.
As overtime loomed with three seconds remaining, McDermott caught the inbounds pass from just beyond the 3-point line, briefly dribbled toward the rim and fired what appeared to be a prayer to beat the buzzer. This was no Hail Mary, though. McDermott calmly swished the shot like she had practiced it a million times before.
4Q | UNI 49 - DU 47
Who else but @mayamcdermott_! Feeling a little like groundhog day here with 0.2 left on the clock 😼#EverLoyal pic.twitter.com/UDQt11AASZ— UNI Women’s Hoops (@UNIwbb) February 2, 2023
McDermott finished with a team-high 12 points. Emerson Green added 11 points, and Grace Boffeli pulled down 11 rebounds for the Panthers (14-6, 9-2 Missouri Valley Conference). Anna Miller led Drake with 15 points on 7-for-8 shooting. The Bulldogs also picked up a double-double from Maggie Bair (12 points, 10 rebounds).
Early on, it seemed no late heroics would be needed. Looking to complete the season sweep, UNI owned a 24-8 advantage after a quarter before melting down. Drake held the Panthers to just two second-quarter points in erasing its double-digit deficit. UNI held a modest 26-23 advantage at the break.
Still, Drake (12-7, 7-4) didn’t grab its first lead until late in the third quarter. A seesawing fourth unfolded from there, with neither team leading by more than five down the stretch. That tight action set the stage for McDermott, who didn’t miss her moment once again.
The Panthers remain on pace with Illinois State right at the top of the conference. Drake stays lurking in the Valley’s middle tier. Expect plenty of drama if these two teams meet again at the conference tournament next month.
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: UNI women's basketball beats Drake on another Maya McDermott buzzer beater
