Panthers Repel Crusaders to Continue Win Streak

Sunday, December 31

Cedar Falls, Iowa

2 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

6-7 (2-0MVC)

Valparaiso

7-6 (0-2MVC)

VALPO

UNI

Panthers Repel Crusaders to Continue Win Streak

12/31/2017 4:40:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

FINAL STATS

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Led by 21 points from redshirt junior Ellie Howell, the University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team (6-7, 2-0 MVC) withstood a late rally from Valparaiso (7-6, 0-2 MVC) to stay unbeaten in Missouri Valley Conference play and secure a 77-56 victory.

UNI led for nearly the entire game, but Valpo cut the deficit to 53-46 midway through the fourth quarter, before the Panthers stormed back to retake control of the game on a Kennedy Kirkpatrick 3-pointer and Howell layup.

Sunday's game was the first for UNI against Valpo as a MVC foe, as 2017-18 marks the inaugural season in the Valley for the Crusaders. With the win, UNI is now on a three-game win streak.

"This weekend was a huge confidence boost for us, but I believe it all started at K-State," head coach Tanya Warren said. "This is a new phase of the season, so we know it's one game at a time. We also know that we have to protect home court and we did that this weekend."

UNI is now 4-2 at home this season, having won four out of the last five games at the McLeod Center.

For the game, UNI had four players in double-figures scoring. Howell led the way with 21 points, while freshman Nicole Kroeger scored 16 off the bench followed by 15 from Megan Maahs and 10 from Mikaela Morgan. Maahs also grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds to earn her fifth double-double of the season. Valpo's Dani Franklin led the Crusaders with 18 points on Sunday.

The Panthers shot 35.3% from the floor for the game, but the bright spot came in the fourth quarter as UNI hit 9-of-17 shots (52.9%) to pull away from the Crusaders.

"We knew we had to lock into our scouting report and the shots would eventually fall," Howell said of the improved late-shooting. "We stayed true to the game plan and it worked out for us. Winning is fun and this momentum is going to carry us going forward."

Sunday's action got off to a physical start as both teams dished out heavyweight blows. The Panthers survived the first period however, and outscored Valpo 14-11 behind five points from Howell.

UNI continued to pound away at Valpo in the second quarter, as the Panthers pressed ahead for an 11-point lead at halftime. Morgan paced the Panthers in the second quarter, after knocking down a pair of 3-pointers and adding a free throw from the charity stripe.

The Panthers came out of the locker room sluggish, but a five-point jolt from Howell with 4:31 remaining in the quarter brought an end to a three-minute scoring drought and kept the pressure on the Crusaders.

Valpo cut the lead to seven points midway in the fourth quarter, but Kirkpatrick drilled a 3-pointer to flip momentum back to the Panthers before Howell scored seven points down the stretch to secure the 77-56 UNI victory.

UP NEXT
UNI hits the road for a pair of league games at Southern Illinois and Missouri State next week, with the Panthers taking on the Salukis on Friday at 6 p.m. CT, before capping the weekend against the Bears on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.

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.

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."

ADDITIONAL NOTES

UNI improved to 3-2 all-time against Valpo.
The Panthers outrebounded the Crusaders 49-39, marking the ninth time this season UNI has outrebounded a foe.
The 21-point effort from Ellie Howell was a season high.
Howell has now earned five games in double figures.
Freshman Nicole Kroeger scored 16 points off the bench, marking her third double-figure game of the season.
Sophomore Megan Maahs earned her fifth double-double of the season and sixth of her career at UNI.
Attendance for Sunday's game was 1,368.