UNI Women Fall to Missouri State in MVC Semis

Saturday, March 16

Moline, Ill.

4 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

12-620-12; MVC

Missouri State

16-222-9; MVC

UNI

Missouri State

UNI Women Fall to Missouri State in MVC Semis

3/16/2019 7:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

MOLINE, Ill. – Missouri State outscored UNI 35-19 in the second quarter en route to an 89-64 win in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Semifinals Saturday at the TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Illinois.

The Panthers held MSU to just 10 first-quarter points, but the Bears came out firing in the second and went 12-17 (70.6 percent) from the field in the quarter, including six consecutive made baskets.

UNI scored a respectable 19 points in the quarter behind 7-16 shooting, but the Panthers failed to keep up with MSU's blistering pace.

The Panthers started the third quarter with an 11-2 run to cut the deficit to 47-41, but Missouri State battled back and extended the lead back to 15, 49-64 at the end of the third.

Missouri State opened the fourth on an 11-0 run to go ahead 75-49 and cruised to the 25-point win.

The Panthers were 22-58 (37.9 percent) from the field. Karli Rucker scored a team-high 21 points. She was the only Panther in double figures.

NOTES:
- The Panthers gave up 35 points in the second quarter, the total is the most that a UNI opponent has scored in a quarter since the NCAA initiated quarters for women's basketball in the 2015-16 season.
- Karli Rucker continued her consistent play with a game. She scored a team-high 21 points. It is her eighth game of the season with 20 or more points.
- The loss is the fourth loss of 20 or more points by the Panthers in the history of the MVC championship. It is the largest margin of defeat since losing 83-54 to Indiana State in the semifinals of the 2003 tournament.
- The Panthers played in the semifinals for the fifth time in a row which is the longest active streak in the MVC.
- Yesterday, UNI picked up its sixth 20th win season in program history and fourth under coach Tanya Warren.

UP NEXT:
The Panthers await their postseason fate Monday. UNI entered the day at No. 83 in the RPI which should put the Panthers in strong position to earn its eighth postseason tournament bid in nine seasons. UNI did not put a bid to host a first-round WNIT game because of schedule conflicts in the McLeod Center.