Panther women's basketball drops a heartbreaker to #15 Iowa State 69-70

Sunday, December 12

Ames, IA

5 PM

University of Northern Iowa

6-3,0-0MVC

Iowa State University

10-1,0-0Big 12

Team	1	2	3	4	F
UNI	20	3	22	24	69
Iowa St.	17	17	18	18	70

Panther women's basketball drops a heartbreaker to #15 Iowa State 69-70

12/12/2021 8:01:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

AMES, Iowa – The UNI women's basketball team would come just one basket shy of a potential upset against the 15th ranked Iowa State Cyclones, losing 69-70 on Sunday evening.

It was a fight to the finish for the Panthers as they battled with the Cyclones for a full 40 minutes Sunday. Despite leading in several statistical categories against Iowa State, UNI would not be able to overcome the Cyclones' strong defensive play in the last 10 seconds of the game.

"A terrific battle. I'm extremely proud of our team," said Head Coach Tanya Warren after the game. "As I told them, I couldn't be more proud of them, I wouldn't be more proud of them if we won the game. I liked our fight. We challenged them at halftime and I thought we answered the call. We got the shot that we wanted in the end, it just didn't fall. But again, I couldn't be more proud."

It was a slow start to the game for both teams as neither scored in the first two minutes. But in her first collegiate start, forward Grace Boffeli would get the first points of the game for the Panthers with a layup at 7:29. The teams would trade baskets back and forth with the Cyclones getting the only 3-pointer of the quarter. ISU would lead for the first 8 minutes but UNI would find their shot in the last two minutes, putting up 10 points in the final two minutes to take a 20-17 lead into the second quarter.

It was a different story offensively for the Panthers in the second quarter as they were held to just 3 points. UNI's first of two baskets would come from Boffeli after 3 minutes with a paint layup to tie the game up at 22. The Cyclones would then go on a 9-point run over four and a half minutes of play in the middle of the quarter. That 9-point run would also include a 3-and-a-half-minute stretch where neither team would make a basket. The Panthers scoring drought was ended by guard Kam Finley with a free throw off a foul with 1:25 to go in the half. UNI would enter halftime trailing by 11.

The Panthers would start the second half off strong with their first three-point shot of the game from Finley. Finley would continue to keep the heat up, scoring 4 three-point shots in the quarter. UNI would also keep the pressure on defensively, forcing 2 turnovers from the Cyclones, including a shot clock violation at 6:09. Boffeli would also have a strong quarter in the 3rd with 6 points off 5 attempted shots. The Panthers went into the last 10 minutes of the game down by 7, trailing 45-52.

The strong 3-point shooting of the 3rd would continue into the fourth as Finley and Cyclones guard Emily Ryan traded treys back and forth. Senior guard Bre Gunnels would also add a 3-pointer to close the Iowa State lead to just 3. The teams would go back to trading baskets for the next two minutes until the Cyclones made two treys in a row to force a Panther timeout with four minutes to go.

UNI came back hot after the timeout with a jumper from guard Karli Rucker. A 7-point run over a minute and 30 seconds that included an Emerson Green three-pointer got the Panthers within 1 with only 30 seconds left in the game. Rucker would make a steal in the last 20 seconds from Iowa State to give UNI a shot at the last basket.

Finley would try for a jumper off the steal that was blocked by ISU guard Ashley Joens. The Panthers would inbound to Rucker who would put up one more shot that hit iron. The Cyclones' strong defense in the waning seconds of the game would keep Rucker from getting a second try, with UNI falling to ISU 69-70.

As a team, the Panthers shot 27-67 (40.3%) from the floor, 9-27 (33.3%) from behind the arc, and 6-8 (75%) from the free-throw line. UNI led in rebounds with 38, 2nd chance points with 14, and 9 steals. The Panthers also had a season-high 7 blocks in Sunday evening's game.

Kam Finley led the way in points for UNI with a career-high 28 points. Finley shot 10-16 (62.5%) from the floor, 6-8 (75%) from three-point range, and 2-3 (66.6%) from the free-throw line. Green and Boffeli also had a double-digit scoring game against the Cyclones, including a career-high 10 points for Boffeli. Boffeli also led the Panthers in rebounds with 8 while Green and Rucker had 3 steals each.

UP NEXT:
The Panthers continue their road swing with the longest trip of the season to Lahaina, Hawaii for the women's Maui Jim Maui Classic holiday tournament. While in Maui, UNI will take on the Idaho Vandals and the 23rd ranked Oregon State Beavers, hosts of the Maui Classic. The Panthers first game of the tournament is set for Saturday, Dec. 18th at 9 p.m. CT against the Vandals.