UNI Travels to SIU, MSU for Pair of MVC Contests

UNI GAME NOTES

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – With two conference wins already under its belt, the University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team (6-7, 2-0 MVC) hits the road for a pair of Missouri Valley Conference battles against Southern Illinois (7-6, 2-0 MVC) and Missouri State (6-7, 2-0 MVC) this weekend.

The Panthers will face the Salukis on Friday at 6 p.m. CT, before capping the weekend against the Bears on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.

HOW TO TUNE IN
Both games 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 (6-7, 2-0 MVC) hits the road to begin the new year as the Panthers take on Southern Illinois (7-6, 2-0 MVC) on Friday at 6 p.m. CT, before capping the weekend at Missouri State (6-7, 2-0 MVC) on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.
The Panthers lead the overall series against SIU, 37-33, but trail the all-time series against MSU, 49-27.
Last time out, UNI took down Loyola (70-41) and Valparaiso (77-56) in convincing fashion to open MVC play, 2-0.
The 2-0 start in league play is UNI's third in the last four seasons.
UNI is currently on its longest winning streak of the season, at three games.
Junior Mikaela Morgan has led the Panthers on the current win streak, averaging 15.3 ppg while earning 12 total rebounds and knocking down a combined 12 made 3-pointers.

SERIES WITH SOUTHERN ILLINOIS/MISSOURI STATE

UNI leads the overall series against SIU, 37-33, but trails the all-time series against MSU, 49-27.
The Panthers have won three out of the last four games against the Salukis, while winning the last two over the Bears.

SCOUTING THE SALUKIS/BEARS

Both Southern Illinois and Missouri State got off to 2-0 starts in MVC action last weekend after a pair of wins.
SIU and MSU each downed Indiana State and Evansville on the road last weekend.
The Salukis are led by senior Kylie Giebelhausen, who averages 12.5 ppg. Giebelhausen is assisted by freshman and reining MVC Player of the Week Abby Brockmeyer, who is scoring 10.9 ppg and averages a team-high 7.5 rebounds per contest.
For the Bears, Lisa Fruendt has led the attack with the guard averaging 16.1 ppg this season.

ANOTHER 2-0 START IN THE MVC

The Panthers beat Loyola and Valparaiso convincingly to open MVC play last weekend.
The 2-0 start in league play for UNI is the third for the Panthers in the last four seasons.
Last season, UNI began conference action with an 8-0 start.

DEFENDERS OF WARREN

UNI is 136-20 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 4-3.

PANTHER SHARP SHOOTERS

UNI has knocked down 106-of-329 (32.2%) from 3-point land this season.
The 106 made 3-pointers this season is tied for the second-most in the MVC.
The Panthers are averaging 8.2 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 and junior Mikaela Morgan leads the Panthers with 21 made 3-pointers each this season.

UNI CONTROLS THE GLASS

This season, the Panthers rank third in the MVC with 3.5 rebounding margin over foes.
UNI has outrebounded nine foes this season, with the highest margin of 18 coming against Wyoming earlier in November.
When outrebounding teams this season, UNI is 5-4 on the season.
The Panthers are averaging 39.5 rebounds per contest, which ranks third in the MVC.

UNI'S STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE RANKS NO. 53

This season, the Panthers have played one of the toughest schedules in the MVC, ranking No. 53 in the nation and first in the conference.
The next closest MVC member is Drake at No. 54.
Overall, past opponents this season have earned an 81-56 record.

KIRKPATRICK HAS STELLAR HOMECOMING

Lawrence, Kansas native Kennedy Kirkpatrick had about as good of a homecoming as one could hope for in UNI's 72-71 victory over Kansas State on Dec. 21.
The redshirt senior scored a career-high 24 points off the bench to lead the Panthers to a road win over another Power-5 foe.
Kirkpatrick also made a career-high seven 3-pointers, which was only one shy of tying the school record for a game.
Kirkpatrick scored the go-ahead basket with 2:11 remaining in the game, before adding seven points in the final two minutes to lead the Panthers to victory.
The guard has scored in double-figures seven times this season, while averaging a team-high 12.1 ppg.

DOUBLE TROUBLE

Sophomore Megan Maahs is the only Panther to record a double-double for UNI this season, logging five on the year.
For her career, Maahs has earned six double-doubles as a Panther. The sophomore has earned the last six double-doubles for UNI.
The sophomore is 32nd in the NCAA for total rebounds per contest at 9.8.
In the MVC, Maahs tops the league this season in rebounds per game (9.8), defensive rebounds per game (6.9) and most double-doubles (5).

WARREN IN THE VALLEY

Head coach Tanya Warren is fifth all-time wins in the Missouri Valley Conference, with 120 league victories under her belt. Warren is behind Creighton's Jim Flanery (2003-13) who owns 131 wins.
Overall, Warren's 192 wins also rank fifth overall, placing behind Barbara Hilke (1983-92) of Eastern Illinois' 231.

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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