Panthers Topple Salukis 65-53

Friday, February 1

Cedar Falls, Iowa

7 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

18-7, 6-2

Southern Illinois University

10-9, 3-5

Southern Illinois

UNI

Panthers Topple Salukis 65-53

2/1/2019 10:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Ellie Howell scored a season-high 18 points and two other Panthers hit double figures to lead the UNI women's basketball team to a 65-53 win over Southern Illinois Friday evening at the McLeod Center.

The Panthers continued their strong defensive, allowing 53 or fewer points for the third time in three games.

Howell hit a jumper with 6:15 to play in the first to give UNI a 6-4 lead. The Panthers never trailed again. UNI held SIU to just six points in the first quarter and 23 in the first half.

The Salukis cut the Panther lead to 28-31 early in the third quarter, but UNI answered with a 14-2 run to take a 45-30 lead with 3:50 left in the third. SIU rallied to cut the deficit to 46-42 with 8:11 remaining in the game, but back-to-back layups from Howell sparked an 8-0 run to put the Panthers up 12 and UNI cruised to the 12-point win.

The Panthers were 20-47 (42.6 percent) from the field and an atypical 19-29 (65.5 percent) from the free throw line.

Karli Rucker (11) and Mikaela Morgan (12) also scored in double digits. Rucker and Taylor Hagen each had a game-high six rebounds.

The win moves UNI to 13-7, 6-2 in MVC play while SIU falls to 10-9 and 3-5 in league.

PLAYER OF THE GAME…
Ellie Howell was 6-11 from the field and 2-3 from the three-point line. She also added four points from the charity stripe, four rebounds and four steals. Her previous season-best was 15 points which she has done six times this season.

PLAY OF THE GAME…
SIU cut the UNI lead to just 46-42 with 8:11 to play. Everything was going the Salukis way, but Ellie Howell slipped through the defense undetected for a wide-open layup on the assist from Mikaela Morgan. The score spurred an 8-0 run that put the game out of reach.

STAT OF THE GAME…
The Panthers shot 42.6 percent from the field. After hitting a shooting slump early in the season, UNI has found its groove. The Panthers have shot better than 42 percent each of the last six games.

NOTES
-The Panthers held each of their last three opponents to 10 points or fewer in each of the last three games. UNI held Evansville to one point, Indiana State to 10 and Southern Illinois to six.
- Ellie Howell scored a season-high 18 points. She was 6-11 from the field and 2-3 from the three-point line.
- The Panthers struggled from the line and shot the poorest percentage of the season and 65.5 percent.

UP NEXT
The Panthers host Missouri State Sunday at 2 p.m. The Bears defeated Drake to end the Bulldogs' 47-game win-streak Friday night in Des Moines. MSU is 8-0 in MVC play and 15-4 overall.