Panthers Set to Open Hoops in the Heartland

GAME NOTES | BRACKET

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team (17-12, 13-5 MVC) opens the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament against Illinois State (14-15, 8-10 MVC) on Friday, as the No. 3-seeded Panthers seek their third win of the season over the No.6-seeded Redbirds.

Action between UNI and Illinois State is set to begin at 8:30 p.m. CT from the TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Illinois. The Panthers are 7-3 under Tanya Warren in their opening game of the MVC Tournament.

HOW TO TUNE IN
All games will be televised on ESPN3. Fans can also listen at 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 tickets and sit in UNI's section through UNITIX. Call 319-273-4849 or visit www.UNITIX.uni.edu. For more information on tickets, visit here.

NEED TO KNOW

No. 3 seed UNI opens the MVC Tournament against No. 6 seed Illinois State on Friday night, with the Panthers seeking their third win of the season over the Redbirds.
Under Tanya Warren, the Panthers are 7-3 in their opening game of the MVC Tournament. UNI is 13-8 at the MVC Tournament under Tanya Warren, while going 1-1 against Illinois State in postseason play.
The last time UNI and Illinois State met in the MVC Tournament, the seedings were identical to 2018's with the Redbirds upsetting the Panthers in a 65-63 contest in 2014. In 2010, No. 5 seed UNI upset the No. 1 seed Illinois State, with the Panthers coming out on top 61-59.
The Panthers have earned back-to-back trips to the title game, losing in overtime to Drake last season and dropping a tough contest to Missouri State in 2016.
This season, sophomore Megan Maahs has earned a league-high 12 double-doubles this season, with the total being the most for any Panther since Alex Cook earned 13 in 2003-04. Maahs ranks third all-time at UNI for total rebounds (294) and defensive rebounds (208) in a single season.

SERIES WITH ILLINOIS STATE

UNI took both contests from Illinois State this season, holding the Redbirds to a combined 84 points.
The Redbirds lead the overall series, 35-41, but the Panthers have won the last 10 contests.
Under head coach Tanya Warren, the Panthers and Redbirds have met twice in MVC Tournament action, with the lower seed winning each time.

SCOUTING THE REDBIRDS

Illinois State is 14-15 on the year and 8-10 in conference play.
The Redbirds are led by newcomer Simone Goods, who has averaged 13.7 points per contest this season.
As a team, the Redbirds lead the MVC in points allowed this season after only giving up 54.9 per contest.

50-POINT CLUB GROWS

Under head coach Tanya Warren, the Panthers are undefeated when holding an opponent to 50 points or less.
Over her 11-year career at the helm, Tanya Warren has earned a 74-0 record against foes when holding them to 50 points or less.
Warren's highest total for a season was in 2015-16, when the Panthers held 12 foes to 50 points or less.
This season, the Panthers are 9-0 when holding an opponent to 50 points or less.

PANTHER SHARP SHOOTERS

UNI has knocked down 216-of-696 (31.0%) from 3-point land this season.
The 216 made 3-pointers this season rank as the third-most in the MVC and eighth-most in a season at UNI.
The Panthers are averaging 7.4 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 42 made 3-pointers this season.

UNI CONTROLS THE GLASS

This season, the Panthers rank first in the MVC with a 5.3 rebounding margin over foes.
UNI has outrebounded 23 foes this season, with the highest margin of 18 coming against Wyoming earlier in November.
When outrebounding teams this season, UNI is 16-7 on the season.
The Panthers are averaging 39.9 rebounds per contest, which also ranks first in the MVC.

MAAHS CLIMBS UP ALL-TIME LEADERBOARD

Sophomore Megan Maahs has had a sensational season rebounding the ball in 2017-18.
Maahs currently sits third all-time at UNI for most rebounds in a season (294) and third for most defensive rebounds in a season (208).
If the season ended today, her 10.1 rebounds per game would be tied for third with Pat Zalesky's mark set in 1978-79.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE QUEEN

Sophomore Megan Maahs leads the MVC with 12 double-doubles this season.
That total is the most in a season for UNI since Alex Cook earned 13 in 2003-04, if Maahs passes Cook's 2003-04 mark the next bar will be Cook's 17 from 2002-03.
In the MVC, Maahs tops the league this season in rebounds per game (10.1), defensive rebounds per game (7.2) and most double-doubles (12).

SEEING DOUBLE

Three Panthers have collected double-doubles this season, with Megan Maahs (12), Rose Simon-Ressler (2) and Ellie Howell (1) all earning the feat via the points/rebounds path.
Howell's came against Indiana State (1/14) after scoring 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Simon-Ressler's came in back-to-back games against Evansville (2/11) and Drake (2/16)
The double-doubles for Maahs and Howell against INS (1/14) 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).

ALL-MVC HONOREES

UNI claimed three All-MVC honors on Wednesday, with Megan Maahs earning All-MVC First Team and All-Defensive Team laurels and Ellie Howell collecting All-MVC Honorable Mention.
On Tuesday, the Panthers earned two selections to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Second Team, with Kennedy Kirkpatrick and Ellie Howell claiming spots after stellar seasons.

ALL WE DO IS WIN

UNI has won at least 17 or more games in nine-straight seasons.
The win total also marked the 16th season since the women's basketball program joined NCAA Division I basketball in 1982 that the Panthers have achieved at least 17 wins.
Tanya Warren now owns nine seasons with at least 17-plus wins or more in a season, which is more than all other coaches at UNI combined.

HOWELL HEATS UP IN LEAGUE PLAY

This season, redshirt junior Ellie Howell has scored in double figures 17 times, with 13 of those coming in conference play.
Howell scored a season-high 21 points against Loyola.
During MVC play, Howell is averaging a team-best 10.9 points per outing.

KIRKPATRICK'S BREAK OUT

Kennedy Kirkpatrick's senior season has been by far her best, as she's earned career-highs in minutes, starts, points, rebounds, assists and steals for her senior campaign.
The Lawrence, Kansas native, has averaged 10.7 points per game, while also leading the Panthers from the 3-point line with 42 made from beyond-the-arc.

WARREN IN THE VALLEY

Head coach Tanya Warren is tied for fourth all-time in the Valley for most league wins.
Warren is on 131 for her career, tied with Creighton's Jim Flanery (2003-13).

200 WINS AND COUNTING FOR WARREN

On Feb. 23 against Illinois State, head coach Tanya Warren became the fifth women's basketball coach in the MVC to surpass the 200-win total.
Warren is the only active coach in the Valley to own at least 200 career-victories
Only four coaches in Valley history have crossed the 200-win mark, with SIU's Cindy Scott (353), MSU's Cheryl Burnett (319), Illinois State's Jill Hutchison (277) and Eastern Illinois' Barbara Hilke (231) being the only coaches in league history to do so.

HOOPS IN THE HEARTLAND

Under Tanya Warren, the Panthers are 7-3 in their opening game of the MVC Tournament.
UNI is 13-8 at the MVC Tournament under Warren, while going 1-1 against Illinois State in postseason play. The last time UNI and Illinois State met in the MVC Tournament, the seedings were identical to 2018's with the Redbirds upsetting the Panthers in a 65-63 contest in 2014. In 2010, No. 5 seed UNI upset the No. 1 seed Illinois State, with the Panthers coming out on top 61-59.
The Panthers have earned back-to-back trips to the title game, losing in overtime to Drake last season and dropping a tough contest to Missouri State in 2016.

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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