University of Northern Iowa
Illinois State
WBB Falls to Illinois State In Conference Opener, 72-41
1/4/2013 1:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jacqui Kalin led the team with 10 points and five rebounds, while Jen Kietel notched six points and four rebounds. Brittni Donaldson added nine points and Brooke Brown led the team in rebounds with seven, including five defensive rebounds.
The Panthers took their first lead in the game with 17:11 left in the first half off an open three-pointer from Kalin. On the next possession, the UNI defense was able to force a turnover to keep the 5-4 lead.
Illinois State went on a 6-0 run sparked by an offensive rebound and tip-in by Jamie Russell, giving the Redbirds a 10-9 lead with 13:18 left in the half. The Redbirds stretched their run to 10-0 while the Panthers went 0-6 from the field, extending the Illinois State lead 14-9.
Keitel scored the Panthers' first field goal since the 16:26 mark in the half with a driving lay-up to cut the Redbird lead to 17-11. Illinois State went on another run to make the score 24-11 before Amber Kirschbaum was able to notch a turn-around jumper to make the score 24-13 with 7:50 left in the half.
Keitel sliced the Redbird lead to 10 points off a jump-shot with 5:26 left on the clock followed by tough defense from Jess McDowell on the other end forcing Illinois State to foul on their next possession. Donaldson cut the lead to single digits with less than three minutes left in the half with a big three-pointer, making the score 28-21.
After a UNI turnover, Illinois State was able to make it a nine-point deficit for the Panthers, but Brown hit two pivotal free throws with 1:33 left in the half to cut the lead to seven points. Illinois State answered with a three-pointer quickly after, but McDowell nailed her own from the arc just seconds later to make the score 33-26.
Illinois State went into the half with a lead of 37-26 off two free throws from Janae Smith. The Panthers shot 32 percent from the field in the first half including 44 percent from the three-point line.
Hannah Schonhardt opened the second half cutting the deficit to nine points with a stylish jumper from in-front of the free throw line, after notching a steal and a defensive rebound. Illinois State took a 42-28 lead with 17:07 left in the game, but Kirschbaum stopped the run with a layup of her own to make the score 42-30.
Kalin was able to cut the Redbird lead to 10 points with 12:28 left in the game off a turn-around jumper to make the score 45-35. Illinois State went on a 6-0 run starting at the 12:08 mark in the half to take a 51-35 lead off a jumper from Russell.
Schonhardt drove in for the Panthers' first field goal since the 12:28 mark in the half, cutting the lead to 53-37 with 8:13 remaining. Neither team scored for the next two minutes with several defensive stops on both ends before Illinois State's Candace Sykes made the score 55-37 with 6:00 left in the game.
Donaldson scored her seventh point of the game with 3:58 left on the clock to make the score 60-39. Illinois State ended the game on a 10-0 run before Donaldson hit a jumper to eventually defeat the Panthers 72-41.
Post-Games Notes vs. Illinois State
Amber Kirschbaum and Sharnae Lamar both made their first appearances since the game against South Dakota State against Illinois State.
Brooke Brown finished with seven rebounds against Illinois State, tying her career high that she set this season against North Dakota State.
Jacqui Kalin has either led of tied for the lead on the team in scoring in 12 of the 13 games this season. The only game she didn't lead the team in scoring was against South Dakota when Jen Keitel scored a career high 18 points.
