UNI Holds Off Lady Bears, 65-60

Sunday, January 10

Springfield, Mo.

2 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

8-7 (3-1MVC)

Missouri State

9-7 (2-2MVC)

UNI

Missouri State

UNI Holds Off Lady Bears, 65-60

1/10/2016 4:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team held off a late rally by the Lady Bears to post a 65-60 win on Sunday afternoon. UNI improves to 8-7 overall this season and 3-1 in conference play.

Missouri State cut the UNI lead to just one-point with 35 seconds left in the game, but clutch free throws from Madison Weekly and Jen Keitel sealed UNI's second win of the weekend and third of the conference season.

Weekly led the Panthers with a career-high tying 28 points, adding six boards and two assists. Amber Sorenson chipped in 14 points while Keitel added a key nine points and six rebounds.

Despite being held scoreless for the first 2:30 of the game, the Panthers quickly came from behind when Weekly scored five unanswered points to put UNI up 7-4 at the 6:25 mark in the first quarter. It was part of a 12-2 run that gave UNI a six-point advantage, capped off by a floating three-pointer from Sharnae Lamar to make it 12-6.

The Panthers held off a late first quarter run from the Lady Bears, heading into the second with an 18-10 lead thanks to another open three from Lamar. UNI kept the momentum going early in the second quarter, opening with a 7-0 run that included five more points from Weekly, making it 25-10 with 8:14 on the clock.

UNI led by as many as 15 in the second quarter before Missouri State was able to cut the Panther lead to single digits, going 4-for-5 from the field on a 7-0 run. The Panthers stayed composed with hustle plays on defense and smart shot selection from Weekly and Sorenson to take a 33-22 lead heading into halftime.

The Lady Bears opened the third quarter with another run, taking off on a 7-0 scoring streak to cut the UNI lead down to six, but Sorenson answered by silencing the crowd with a three-pointer under pressure to put UNI up 38-29 at the 5:56 mark. Missouri State continued to press, going on another 7-0 run to bring UNI's lead down to 42-38 with less than two minutes to play in the quarter.

The Panthers struggled from the field to start the fourth quarter, going 1-for-5 shooting, allowing Missouri State to go on a 6-0 run and cut the UNI advantage to 51-48 with 6:13 left to play in the game. UNI battled back out to a nine-point lead shortly after, with Weekly hitting key back-to-back threes, putting UNI up 57-48.

UNI went on a late scoring drought, with Missouri State making it a one-point game twice, including at the 35-second mark when Tyonna Snow drained a jumper to make it 61-60. Missouri State wouldn't score again though thank to stingy defense and clutch free throws down the stretch from Weekly and Keitel to give them the victory.

The Panthers will return to action on Friday, Jan. 15 when they host Illinois State in the McLeod Center. The game is set to tip-off at 7 p.m. on ESPN3.

Post-Game Notes vs. Missouri State

Sharnae Lamar tied her career-high in three-pointers made today against Missouri State. She has had three games in her career where she has hit two threes (at Missouri State, 1/10/16; vs. North Carolina State, 11/25/12; at Chicago State, 11/14/11).
With her four three-pointers against Missouri State, Madison Weekly is tied for eighth all-time at UNI in career threes made. She is tied with Traci Ollendieck (2004-08) with 135 each.
Madison Weekly finished the game with a career-high tying 28 points, her 12^th career game that she has reached the 20-point mark. She has scored 20-or-more points four times this season.
Sharnae Lamar finished with a game-high seven assists against Missouri State, her seventh game this season with four-or-more. She is averaging 4.9 this season, ranking her fourth all-time at UNI in assist average in a season.