Panthers Edge SIU 66-63 to Advance

Friday, March 15

Moline, Ill.

8:32 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

12-620-11; MVC

Southern Illinois

8-1015-15; MVC

Southern Illinois

UNI

Panthers Edge SIU 66-63 to Advance

3/15/2019 11:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

MOLINE, Ill. – Taylor Hagen drove to the basket and hit a contested layup with 17 seconds left to give UNI a 64-63 lead and the third-seeded Panthers held on for the 66-63 win over the six-seed Southern Illinois in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Championship Friday evening at the TaxSlayer Center.

The Panthers led much of the final three quarters, but Southern Illinois rallied to take a 60-58 lead with 1:48 to play in the game. The Panthers responded with a 4-0 run with free throws and a bucket by Karli Rucker to regain a 62-60 lead with a minute to play.

SIU's Brittney Patrick hit a three-pointer at the end of the shot clock with 35 seconds left to steal a 63-62 advantage, but Hagen drove from the three-point line to hit the layup and put UNI back on top for good.

After a missed shot by SIU, Heidi Hillyard grabbed the rebound and was fouled. She hit both free throws for the 66-63 Panther lead.

The Salukis had one more possession. A three-pointer was missed, but SIU grabbed the offensive board and threw up a desperation heave at the bucket. It hit rim and bounced out and UNI held on for the win.

UNI started slow and SIU grabbed a six-point first quarter lead, but Mikaela Morgan hit three-pointers on UNI's last possession of the first quarter and first possession of the second to tie the game at 20.

The Panthers received a boost in the first half from junior Abby Gerrits who hit her first four shots and was 5-7 from the field and 2-2 from the three-point line in the first half for 15 points of her season-high 17 points.

UNI led 39-35 at the half.

Rucker led the Panthers with a game-high 18-points and a team-high 17 rebounds she also added three assists and a steal. Hagen added 16 on 5-10 shooting.

UNI was 22-56 (39.3 percent) from the field and 6-20 (30 percent) from the three-point line. The UNI bench outscored the SIU bench 24-5.

NOTES:
- UNI is now 20-11 on the year. It is the sixth 20-win season in program history and the fourth under Coach Tanya Warren.
- Abby Gerrits scored a season-high 17 points. She matched her previous season high of 15 in the first half.
- The Panthers recorded just nine turnovers. It is the third time this season that UNI has recorded fewer than 10 and the Panthers are 3-0 in those games.
- UNI is trying to make the MVC title game for the fourth consecutive season.

UP NEXT: The win gives UNI its fifth straight trip to the Semifinals. The Panther face Missouri State in the semis for the second consecutive year. A season ago, the Panthers topped the bears 70-58.