University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
20-6, 13-2MVC
Indiana State
12-13, 6-8MVC
UNI Beats Indiana State In Overtime, 61-59
2/19/2017 2:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team came away with a 61-59 win in overtime against the Indiana State Sycamores, improving to 20-6 overall and 13-2 in Missouri Valley Conference play.
The Panthers trailed by as many as 15 points in the second quarter, but clawed back in a back-and-forth game that saw the lead change eight times with six ties throughout the four quarter game. The game ended in overtime after clutch free throws from Megan Maahs and Madison Weekly sealed the victory.
Weekly, Maahs and Ellie Herzberg all scored in double-digits, with Weekly scoring 20 points. The senior went 9-for-10 from the free throw line while Maahs went 6-for-8 from the charity stripe, also hitting two field goals. Herzberg finished the game with 16 points, also coming away with a career-high eight steals.
UNI struggled to begin the game, only shooting 25-percent from the floor in the first quarter while Indiana State shot 58-percent, going on an 8-0 run to take a 15-6 lead heading into the second.
The scoring drought the Panthers had in the first quarter was contagious, with Indiana State being unable to score the last 7:41 of the second quarter. It gave UNI the opportunity to go on a 14-0 run to cut the Sycamore lead to 21-20 heading into halftime.
The run continued into the third quarter for the Panthers after back-to-back threes from Hannah Schonhardt and Herzberg sparked an 11-0 run to give UNI a 31-25 lead with 5:03 on the clock. But Indiana State had an answer, coming back on a 12-2 run late in the quarter, claiming a 39-33 lead to head into the final quarter.
The shootout continued as Weekly opened the fourth quarter with consecutive three-pointers to tie the score 39-39 with 8:17 left to play. The Sycamores were then able to jump out to a four-point lead before Weekly knocked down her third trey of the quarter, making it a one-point deficit.
The threes continued to fall for the Panthers as Herzberg drained a key bucket to make it a three-point game, followed by free throws from Weekly to cut the Indiana State lead to 49-48 with 2:33 remaining in the game. Mikaela Morgan followed it up with a three-pointer of her own, giving UNI a two-point lead, but Indiana State countered with a layup to tie the score and send the game into overtime, 51-51.
Neither team scored in the first 2:30 of the overtime period until Indiana State got things started by taking a two-point lead thanks to points in the paint from Ashley Taia. Weekly answered with a tough shot in the lane, tying the score 54-54. After tying the score, the Panthers were clutch from the free throw line, going 7-for-8 from the line down the stretch, eventually scoring the 61-59 win.
The Panthers return to action on Friday, Feb. 24 when they travel to Des Moines, Iowa for an in-state battle against Drake. The game is set for a 7 p.m. CT tip on the Valley on ESPN3.
Post-Game Notes vs. Indiana State
- With UNI's win over Indiana State, the Panthers have 20 wins. It is the fifth time in program history that Panthers have had 20-or-more victories in a season and the first time the Panthers have reached 20 wins in back-to-back seasons (1981-82, 22-9 | 2004-05, 20-11 | 2010-11, 27-6 | 2015-16, 24-11 | 2016-17, 20-6).
- Sophomore Ellie Herzberg finished the game with a career-high eight steals, one away from tying the school record for steals in a game. The UNI record of nine steals was set in 1999 against Tulsa by Allison Starr.
- UNI's 19 steals against the Sycamores was a season-high. The UNI record for steals in a game by the team is 26, set against Marycrest in 1980.
- Madison Weekly scored 20 points against Indiana State, the seventh time this season she has reached the 20-point mark and the 28th time in her career.
- Madison Weekly moved into a tie for sixth all-time in career field goals made (532). She is tied with Lizzie Boeck who had 532 from 2007-11.
