Panthers Welcome Bears, Salukis to McLeod Center

Friday, February 2

Cedar Falls, Iowa

7 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

Missouri State (Karaoke Friday)

Panthers Welcome Bears, Salukis to McLeod Center

2/1/2018 2:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball

UNI GAME NOTES

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – After a pair of wins last weekend, the University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team (10-10, 6-3 MVC) prepares for a tough home slate on Friday and Sunday against Missouri State (11-9, 7-2 MVC) and Southern Illinois (12-8, 7-2 MVC).

The Panthers and Bears will tipoff at 7 p.m. CT on Friday, while Sunday's showdown against the Salukis will begin at 2 p.m. CT.

HOW TO TUNE IN
Both games will be televised on ESPN3. Fans can also listen in on 1540 KXEL or www.UNIPanthers.com as Chris Kleinhans-Schulz calls the action.

LIVE STATS
Live stats will be made available via the UNI athletics website (www.UNIPanthers.com). Fans and media can visit @UNIWBB on Twitter for links to the feed.

TICKETS
Fans can purchase season and single-game tickets to UNI women's basketball home games through UNITIX. Call 319-273-4849 or visit www.UNITIX.uni.edu.

NEED TO KNOW

UNI (10-10, 6-3 MVC) returns home to face Missouri State and Southern Illinois over the weekend, seeking to avenge losses to the pair earlier this season.
UNI is undefeated this season in home MVC games (4-0).
The Panthers won their first road MVC games of the year last time out, after sweeping Bradley and Illinois State.
UNI held Bradley (40) and Illinois State (36) to a combined 76 points over the weekend, which was the lowest two-game stretch for a Panther defense since holding Indiana State (29) and Evansville (44) to 73 points on Feb. 20/22, 2015.
Sophomore Megan Maahs earned her eighth double-double of the season, which marks the most in a season since Lizzie Boeck earned eight in 2010-11.
Junior Ellie Howell earned her team-high 11th game in double figures, with seven coming in MVC play.

SERIES WITH MISSOURI STATE/SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

The Bears have taken the last two games over the Panthers, snapping a five-game winning streak over Missouri State that last from 2013-15 for UNI. Overall, MSU leads the series, 25-46.
The Panthers own a slight advantage in the head-to-head series against the Salukis, with UNI leading 34-32 overall. SIU took the first matchup this season, while holding a two-game winning streak over UNI.

SCOUTING THE BEARS/SALUKIS

Missouri State is 11-9 overall and 7-2 in MVC play, the Bears were upended by Southern Illinois last time out in overtime. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for MSU.
Southern Illinois enters the weekend 12-8 overall and 7-2 in MVC action, taking its last contest against Missouri State, 71-69 in overtime. The Salukis have won their last three games, while going 3-1 on the road in MVC games.

DEFENDERS OF WARREN

UNI is 140-21 under the direction of head coach Tanya Warren when holding an opponent to 60 points or less.
Five of UNI's top-10 scoring defense averages in school history have come during the Warren era, while the Panthers ranked second in the Valley last season after holding opponents to 58.3 points per game.
UNI was 19-0 in 2016-17 when holding foes to 60 points or less, so far this season the Panthers are 8-4.

50-POINT CLUB GROWS

Under head coach Tanya Warren, the Panthers are undefeated when holding an opponent to 50 points or less.
Over her 11-year career at the helm, Tanya Warren has earned a 67-0 record against foes when holding them to 50 points or less.
Warren's highest total for a season was in 2015-16, when the Panthers held 12 foes to 50 points or less.
This season, the Panthers are 5-0 when holding an opponent to 50 points or less.

PANTHER SHARP SHOOTERS

UNI has knocked down 151-of-500 (30.2%) from 3-point land this season.
The 151 made 3-pointers this season rank as the third-most in the MVC.
The Panthers are averaging 7.6 made 3-pointers a game.
Last season, the Panthers shot 250-848 (29.5%) from beyond the arc to average 7.6 made 3-pointers a game.
Senior Kennedy Kirkpatrick leads UNI with 29 made 3-pointers this season.

UNI CONTROLS THE GLASS

This season, the Panthers rank second in the MVC with a 4.3 rebounding margin over foes.
UNI has outrebounded 15 foes this season, with the highest margin of 18 coming against Wyoming earlier in November.
When outrebounding teams this season, UNI is 9-6 on the season.

DOUBLE TROUBLE

Sophomore Megan Maahs leads the MVC with eight double-doubles this season.
That total is the most in a season for UNI since Lizzie Boeck earned eight in 2010-11.
Maahs ranks 20th in the NCAA for total rebounds per contest at 10.5.
In the MVC, Maahs tops the league this season in rebounds per game (10.5), defensive rebounds per game (7.4) and most double-doubles (8).
Ellie Howell earned her career-first double-double of the season, after earning 11 points and 10 rebounds against Indiana State (1/14).
The double-doubles for Maahs and Howell against Indiana State marked the first time UNI had two players record a double-double in the same game since Feb. 2, 2014 versus Drake (Stephanie Davison, Jen Keitel, Hannah Schonhardt).

HOWELL HEATS UP IN LEAGUE PLAY

This season, redshirt junior Ellie Howell has scored in double figures a team-high 11 times, with seven of those coming in conference play.
Howell scored a season-high 21 points against Loyola.
During MVC play, Howell is averaging a team-best 11.4 points per outing.

SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on the UNI women's basketball program, follow the Panthers on Twitter at "@UNIWBB" and on Facebook at "UNI Women's Basketball."