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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Lizzy Wendell scored 21 points and No. 21 Drake defeated Northern Iowa 70-57 on Friday night and clinched outright the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship.
The Bulldogs (23-4, 16-0) won their 17th straight game to break the school record they shared with the 1996-97 team. The outright conference title, coming with two games remaining for the Bulldogs, is the first for Drake since the 1999-2000 season.
Drake took an 88-79 double-overtime victory at UNI on Jan. 27 but had an easier time Friday against the second-place Panthers (20-7, 13-3), using a 13-2 run, with nine points from Wendell, to lead by 13, 47-34, after three quarters. The lead stayed in double figures in the final quarter.
Becca Hittner added 12 points for Drake, which shot 52 percent. Sammie Bachrodt and Becca Jonas scored 10 points each. Caitlin Ingle had eight assists with nine points.
Madison Weekly scored 19 points to lead UNI, which shot 28 percent.
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