UNI Faces MVC-Leader Drake Friday in Des Moines

UNI GAME NOTES

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – After a pair of wins at home last weekend, the University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team (8-9, 4-2 MVC) travels to Drake (11-7, 6-0 MVC) looking to shake up the Missouri Valley Conference standings.

The Panthers and Bulldogs will tip off action at 7 p.m. CT, on Friday from the Knapp Center. Drake enters Friday's game with a 6-0 record in the MVC, having won its last 28 league contests.

HOW TO TUNE IN
Friday's game 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 (8-9, 4-2 MVC) seeks its first road win in the Valley as the Panthers travel to Drake (11-7, 6-0 MVC) on Friday at 7 p.m. CT.
The Panthers and Bulldogs faced off three times last season, with Drake taking all three contests. The final meeting took place in the MVC title game, with two games going to overtime.
Sophomore Megan Maahs and redshirt junior Ellie Howell each recorded a double-double for the Panthers last time out in UNI's 59-53 win over Indiana State.
It was 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 enters the MVC contest averaging a team-best 11.2 points per league game.
Redshirt senior Kennedy Kirkpatrick scored 16 points last time out, earning her eighth game in double figures. The double-figure outing was her first in MVC play.

SERIES WITH SERIES WITH DRAKE

Drake leads the all-time series against UNI, 24-59, with the Bulldogs taking the last three meetings.
Drake took all three contests from UNI in 2017, following up the Panthers 3-0 season against the Bulldogs in 2016.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS

Drake has won its last six games, with all six contests coming in league play.
Drake has not lost a regular-season MVC game since Feb. 19, 2016, with UNI defeating the Bulldogs 85-74 in Cedar Falls.
Drake has not had a regular-season MVC game decided by 10 points or less since March 2, 2017's win over Missouri State, 98-91.
Forward Sara Rhine leads the Bulldogs with 16.1 points per contest, despite only starting six games this season. Rhine's 16.1 average ranks second in the MVC.

DEFENDERS OF WARREN

UNI is 138-21 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 6-4.

PANTHER SHARP SHOOTERS

UNI has knocked down 130-of-430 (30.2%) from 3-point land this season.
The 130 made 3-pointers this season rank as the second-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 24 made 3-pointers this season.

UNI CONTROLS THE GLASS

This season, the Panthers lead the MVC with a 4.5 rebounding margin over foes.
UNI has outrebounded 12 foes this season, with the highest margin of 18 coming against Wyoming earlier in November.
When outrebounding teams this season, UNI is 7-5 on the season.
The Panthers are averaging 40.4 rebounds per contest, which ranks second in the MVC.

LUCKY NO. 15

Sophomore Megan Maahs has scored exactly 15 points in four games this season.
Maahs is just behind senior Kennedy Kirkpatrick in games with 15 or more points, scoring four this season.
On the year, Kirkpatrick has logged eight games in double figures.

DOUBLE TROUBLE

Sophomore Megan Maahs leads the MVC with seven double-doubles this season.
The sophomore has earned eight double-doubles for her career at UNI.
Maahs ranks 27th in the NCAA for total rebounds per contest at 10.2.
In the MVC, Maahs tops the league this season in rebounds per game (10.2), defensive rebounds per game (7.4) and most double-doubles (7).
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 eight times, with half of those coming in conference play.
Howell scored a season-high 21 points against Loyola, before posting 10 and 12-point performances at Southern Illinois and Missouri State last week.
During MVC play, Howell is averaging a team-best 11.2 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."

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