University of Northern Iowa
12-11,9-7MVC
Southern Illinois
8-13,5-11MVC
Rucker's 12-Point Scoring Run Leads Panthers to Victory
3/5/2021 6:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. – The women's basketball team battled with Southern Illinois for the 67-56 win in the Banterra Center on Friday. Karli Rucker's 12-point run claimed the Panther's 11-point win.
With 2:24 left to go in the third quarter, the Salukis tied the game, 41-41. Emerson Green scored an and-one and a layup with five seconds until the final quarter and the Panthers broke the tie, 45-41 to end the third.
The Salukis, Quierra Love, scored a three-pointer with 8:44 left to go in the game closing the Panther lead to just one point. After five minutes of back-and-forth scoring and SIU threatening the Panther lead, Rucker recorded 12 consecutive points for the Panthers, leading them to victory.
Kam Finley scored 66.7% 98-12) of her total points in the second quarter. The Panthers ended the second quarter ahead of the Salukis by 10 points.
Payton McCallister and Mckenzie Silvey scored back-to-back three-pointers which brought the Panther lead to two and with 2:24 left to go in the third quarter and the Salukis tied the game, 41-41.
Silvey led the Salukis with a double-double, 17 points and 12 rebounds. She went 7-17 from the field and 1-3 from behind the arc.
UNI made 40 points in the paint to the Salukis 26, but SIU only allowed seven-second chance points for the Panthers and outrebounded UNI for the duration of the game.
The Panthers and the Salukis will close out the regular season at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 6 in the Banterra Center. With the conclusion of the next game, the teams will prepare for the MVC Hoops in the Heartland Tournament.
GAME NOTES:
- Karli Rucker held the game-high 23 points and advanced to the No. 8 spot on the All-Time Scoring list with 1,366 points.
- Kam Finley scored 66.7% (8-12) of her points in the second quarter.
- Bre Gunnels led the Panthers with 12 rebounds.
- Megan Maahs recorded four assists on the afternoon and two blocks.
