University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Butler
UNI Defeats Butler 65-60 in Cancun Thanksgiving Classic
11/28/2009 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 28, 2009
CANCUN, Mexico – The University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team topped Butler 65-60 in the Panthers' final game of the Cancun Thanksgiving Classic. Kim Wypiszynski shot 7-of-10 from the floor and 7-of-9 from the free-throw line to lead UNI with 21 points and nine rebounds.
K.K. Armstrong finished with 13. Erin Brocka grabbed seven rebounds for the Panthers (1-4).
Butler (2-3) took a 13-8 lead at the 10-minute mark in the first half. The Panthers scored five straight points to tie the game for the third time, 13-13. The teams were tied again at 16-16, but the Bulldogs scored the final six points of the first half to take a 22-16 lead into the break.
The Bulldogs extended their lead to eight, 28-20, but the Panthers used a 10-2 run to tie the game, 30-30, with 14:46 to play. With the game tied 35-35, the Panthers rattled off 10 straight points, taking a 45-35 lead with 11:05 to play.
Butler responded with an 8-0 run, cutting the Panther lead to 45-43 with 9:38 to play.
Kalin hit a three and a jumper on back-to-back trips to stretch UNI's lead back to seven, 50-43. Wypiszynski connected on a pair of free throws to give UNI a 52-43 lead with eight minutes to play.
The teams traded baskets to keep the Panther lead at nine, but the Bulldogs scored nine unanswered points to tie the game, 54-54 with 4:24 remaining.
A Wypiszynski layup put the Panthers back in the lead, but it was short-lived, as Butler responded with a jumper to tie the game, 56-56 with 2:24 to play.
Kalin hit a pair of free throws, and K.K. Armstrong grabbed a defensive rebound with Butler's Brittany Bowen missed a three-point attempt on the Bulldogs' ensuing possession. A layup from Wypiszynski put the Panthers up by four, 60-56, with 1:24 on the clock.
Terra Burns made a jumper to cut the Panther lead in half, but Wypiszynski scored a layup to keep it at a two-possession contest, 62-58 with just 38 seconds left.
A basket from Bowen with 30 seconds left pulled the Bulldogs within two, but Wypiszynski connected on one of two free-throw tries to give UNI a 63-60 edge with 24 seconds remaining.
Butler came up empty-handed on its next trip down, and Wypiszynski grabbed the defensive rebound. She was sent to the line with just six ticks on the clock. She converted a pair of free throws to give UNI the 65-50 win.
UNI shot 46.8 percent (22-of-47) from the floor, including 5-of-12 (41.7) from three-point range. The Panthers made 16-of-19 (84.2 percent) free-throw attempts.
The Bulldogs were 23-of-62 (37.1 percent) from the floor, including 4-of-26 (15.1 percent) from behind the arc. Butler made 10-of-14 (71.4 percent) free-throw attempts.
UNI returns to action on Wednesday when it plays at Northern Illinois.
