Panther Women Roll NDSU in Home Opener

Wednesday, November 6

Cedar Falls, Iowa

6:30 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

1-0,0-0MVC

North Dakota State

0-1,0-0Summit League

North Dakota St.

UNI

Panther Women Roll NDSU in Home Opener

11/6/2019 9:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – UNI women's basketball started hot on both sides of the ball and never looked back en route to the 95-63 season-opening win Wednesday evening at the McLeod Center.

North Dakota State led 5-4 with 6:28 remaining in the first quarter, but UNI closed the first quarter on a 20-3 run to take a 24-8 lead into the break. The Panthers held to the Bison to just 3-11 (27.3 %) from the field in the first quarter.

The Panther offense kept the pace throughout the game, giving UNI the 48-30 lead at the half and a 76-54 lead after three quarters.

UNI showed its depth, 11 Panthers saw action for UNI and every player that saw the court scored. Five Players scored in double figures, including a game-high 22 for Karli Rucker. Kam Finley scored 13 points, Megan Maahs scored 11 points and Nicole Kroeger and Kristina Cavey added 10 points each.

The Panthers were 29-59 (49.2%) from the field and 10-17 (58.8%) from the three-point line. UNI continued its trend of solid free throw shooting from last year and shot 27-32 for 84.4%

North Dakota State was 23-59 (39%) from the field and 5-14 (35.7%) from the three-point line. Three NDSU players scored in double figures. Michelle Gaislerova led the way with 15 points.

The Panthers notched 16 assists led by Rucker with a game-high six. UNI outrebounded the Bison 40-32, but no Panther recorded more than six boards.

NOTES:

-         Megan Maahs scored the first points of the game with a jumper with 8:35 to play in the first half. It was first points since Nov. 30, 2018, after going down with an injury on Dec. 4, 2018, early in a game against North Dakota.

-         Kristina Cavey scored her first points as a Panther with 6:27 to play in the first quarter. The graduate transfer came in with 548 points in her career at Fresno State.

-         The stiff Panther defense held NDSU to just 3-11 (27.3 %) from the field in the first quarter.

-         Karli Rucker was perfect in the first half. She was 3-3 from the field, 1-1 from the three-point line and 4-4 from the foul line for 11 points. She also had a pair of assists and a steal.

-         Kam Finley set her career-high in assists with four, all in the first half. Her previous best was two.

-         The Panthers continued their strong free-throw shooting from last season. UNI went 27-32 (84.4%) from the line. Last year, UNI shot 77% from the free-throw line as a team.

-         In the first half, UNI scored 48 points, it is the most in a half since the Panthers score 49 in the second half last season against Evansville.

-         Karli Rucker went three full quarters before missing a field goal.

-         Rucker scored 22 points. It is her third consecutive game with 20+ points dating back to last season. She tallied a team-high nine games with 20 or more points last season.

-         UNI has now won six consecutive non-conference home games after going 5-0 at home in the non-conference last season.

- The Panthers notched a 17-0 advantage in fast-break points.

UP NEXT:

The Panthers head to Kansas for the first road game of the season at Wichita State Saturday at 5 p.m. CT. It will be the season-opening game for the Shockers who finished 12-18 in 2018-19 and 5-11 in the American.