University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
21-7, 14-3
Wichita State
14-14, 9-8
UNI Defense Stops The Shockers, Winning 62-37
3/2/2017 9:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team held the Wichita State Shockers to just 37 points on Thursday night, picking up a 62-37 win. The Panthers improved to 21-7 overall and 14-3 in league play.
The win over the Shockers gave head coach Tanya Warren 183 career victories, tying her as the all-time wins leader at UNI with former head coach Tony DiCecco. She holds an overall record of 183-137 in 10 seasons.
UNI entered the game ranked second in the Valley in three-pointers made, but quickly fell cold from the arc, depending heavily on movement inside. The Panthers ended up scoring 32 of their 62 points in the paint, with Megan Maahs leading the way.
Maahs finished the game with 12 points and seven boards, while Madison Weekly and Kennedy Kirkpatrick scored 14 each. Mikaela Morgan chipped in five points and a season-high seven boards, also contributing three assists and a steal.
Maahs scored the first six points of the game against the Shockers, giving the Panthers a 6-2 lead with 5:29 left to play. UNI's defense came to play early, holding Wichita State to 23-percent from the floor, taking a 12-9 lead heading into the second quarter.
UNI forced eight turnovers in the second quarter, holding the Shockers to just two made field goals during the entire period. UNI's offense gained some rhythm in the second quarter, going on a 6-0 run to give the Panthers a 26-15 advantage at halftime.
The Panthers started the second half the way they started the first, with Maahs coming out and scoring the first six points of the third quarter. The UNI defense continued to be suffocating, especially from the arc, with Wichita State going 3-for-12 from the floor. UNI outscored the Shockers 12-2 in the paint in the third quarter, giving UNI a 20-point lead.
Kirkpatrick hit the first three of the entire game with 8:16 on the clock in the fourth quarter, sending UNI on a 7-0 run to start the period. The Panthers shot 46-percent from the field and 80-percent from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter, sealing the 62-37 win.
UNI returns to action on Saturday, March 4 when they host Missouri State at 8 p.m. CT. The Panthers will be honoring the three seniors, Madison Weekly, Angie Davison and Hannah Schonhardt, prior to the tip.
Post-Game Notes vs. Wichita State
- Not only does UNI's win over Wichita State tie Tanya Warren with Tony DiCecco for all-time coaching wins at UNI, but it also ties the former head coach with Warren for seventh all-time in the Valley. It is also her 116 career Valley win, tying her with current Iowa head coach and former Panther Lisa Bluder for sixth all-time in career MVC victories.
- Kennedy Kirkpatrick was a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe against Wichita State, the fifth time this season she has shot 100-percent from the free throw line. She has now made 17 consecutive free throws, dating back to UNI's game against Bradley (2/10).
- Sixteen of UNI's 26 first half points came in the Paint with Megan Maahs scoring the first six points of the game for the Panthers.
- Megan Maahs scored 12 points in UNI's win over Wichita State, scoring a career-high six made field goals.
- Wichita State only scored 37 total points against UNI, the second lowest point total by an opponent this season. UNI held Evansville (2/3) to 36 points.
- UNI kept the Shockers from making a three-point field goal with Wichita State going 0-of-10 from deep. It is the first time UNI has held an opponent to zeros from the arc this season.
- Madison Weekly scored 14 points against Wichita State. She is just eight points away from becoming the third player in UNI history to score 1,700 career points. She has 1,692 through 120 career games.
- Madison Weekly cracked the top-10 all-time at UNI in single-season assists with her four tonight. She now has 114 this season, passing Jessie Biggs who had 111 in 2005-06.
