Panther Women Hold Off Indiana State 71-63

Friday, February 22

Cedar Falls, Iowa

7 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

16-9 (9-4)

Indiana State University

11-14 (5-9)

Indiana State

UNI

Panther Women Hold Off Indiana State 71-63

2/22/2019 10:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The UNI women's basketball team outscored Indiana State 22-6 in the second quarter and held off a comeback to earn a 71-63 win Friday evening at the McLeod Center.

While the offense struggled to get going in the first quarter, the Panther D was stout. The Panthers held the Sycamores to just 10 points in the first quarter and followed that up by giving up just six in the second with just one made field goal. Indiana State shot just 5-27 (18.5 percent) from the field in the second half.

The Panthers shot 4-14 in the first quarter but made 7-10 in the second frame to take a 35-16 lead into the break. The Sycamores weren't about to go quietly.

Indiana State outscored the Panthers 18-15 in the third quarter and kept the pressure on in the fourth. ISU cut the deficit to 60-54 with 1:59 to play, but Bre Gunnels scored sparked a 6-2 run to push the lead back to 66-56 with 44 seconds on the clock.

The Panther kept the Sycamores at arm's length for the waning seconds and picked up the eight-point win.

Gunnels, Karli Rucker and Taylor Hagen all scored 11 points to lead the way, but all nine of the Panther players that saw the court contributed. The Panthers notched 14 assists, led by Rucker's seven.

UNI was 23-51 (45.1 percent) from the field and 19-22 (86.4 percent) from the free throw line.

The Panthers improve to 16-9 on the season and 9-4 in Missouri Valley Conference play. Indiana State is now 11-14 overall and 5-9 in league.

PLAY OF THE GAME:
The Sycamores had gained all the momentum and cut the lead to six, but Bre Gunnels dribbled the length of the court for the layup. She was knocked to the floor as the ball went in to earn a trip to the line. She missed the free throw (She finished 4-5 from the line), but she energized the crowd and put the game out of reach.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Gunnels tied with Rucker and Hagen for the team-high in points, but the stretch of eight-straight points for the Panthers in the final minutes of the game held off the charging Sycamores and preserved the win.

STAT OF THE GAME:
The Panthers made a point of getting to the line. In the last game in the McLeod Center, the Panthers shot just one free throw. Friday night, UNI drew 25 fouls and shot 22 free throws, hitting on 19 (86.4 percent).

UP NEXT:
The Panthers host Evansville Sunday afternoon. UNI won the first meeting 74-46 in Indiana. It is the annual pink game for the Panthers and head coach Tanya Warren will donate $25 per made three-pointer to a charity for Cancer Research. Her gift will be matched by Awards, Gifts & Engraving.

NOTES:
-The Panthers have held opponents to 10 or fewer points in the first quarter in six games this season. UNI is 6-0 in those games, including both games against the Sycamores.
-Karli Rucker notched seven assists for the second straight game. It is the ninth time this season she had five or more.
-Bre Gunnels scored 8 of her 11 points in the final 3:38 of the game. She scored the other three points on a three-pointer in the second quarter.
- The Panthers have now won 10 straight games against Indiana State and 13 of 15.
- The win guarantees UNI an MVC mark of .500 or better for the 11th year in a row, the longest active streak of any MVC program, men's or women's.