UNI women's basketball to meet Kansas City for the first time during the WNIT

UNI vs. Kansas City

6 p.m. | March 17
Cedar Falls, Iowa | McLeod Center (6,650)
ESPN3 | Announcers TBA
1540 KXEL | Panther Sports Radio Network (Chris Kleinhaus-Shulz: Play-by-Play)

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The UNI women's basketball team will begin post season play this week in the WNIT, hosting their opening round game against the Kansas City Roos.

The Panthers will look to avenge their loss in the Hoops in the Heartland MVC conference tournament as they begin post season action on Thursday night. UNI will take on Kansas City for the first time in the two programs history at the McLeod Center. It will be UNI's first time hosting a WNIT game since a 2018 loss to Milwaukee. It will be the Panthers 10th time in the tournament and their fourth straight at-large bid after their deepest run in the tournament last season.

Tickets are on sale for the game through Northern Iowa. Tickets for Thursday's game are $10 arena wide, fees not included. You can purchase your tickets here.

THE PANTHERS:
- The Panthers came up just short of an NCAA Tournament birth after falling to the Illinois State Redbirds in the final game of the MVC Hoops in the Heartland tournament. A five-minute cold stretch at the end of the game would seal UNI's fate with a 50-48 loss.
- Seniors Karli Rucker and Bre Gunnels were named to the MVC All-Tournament team on Sunday afternoon following the championship game. Rucker and Gunnels were two of five players named to the All-Tournament squad.
- UNI has been selected as an at-large bid for the WNIT Tournament for the fourth straight year excluding the 2020 canceled post-season. The Panthers had their deepest run of the WNIT last season, making it to the semi-finals before losing to Ole Miss in Memphis.
- The Panthers have made a three in 445 straight games, the longest streak in the Valley on both the men's and women's side. The streak began Dec. 6, 2008. UNI twice has made 16 threes in a game this season, the league's single-game high.

THE ROOS:
- This will be just the second time that Kansas City has competed in the WNIT tournament and their first appearance since 2012. The Roos would lose their only appearance in the tournament so far to fellow MVC school Missouri State. Kansas City also has one NCAA Tournament bid from 2019-2020. The Roos were unable to compete due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The Roos have had a historic season this year with a 23-8 record, just one game shy of the program record set in 1991-1992. Kansas City had two long win streaks that helped propel them to a 23 win season. The streaks lasted 10 and nine games respectively and set up their second WNIT bid.
- Out of four mutual opponents with the Panthers, Kansas City has won against three and lost to just one. Kansas City has a win over Southern Illinois, two wins over North Dakota State, two wins over St. Thomas, and two losses to South Dakota State. The Panthers have won against all four opponents including a 1-1 series with Southern Illinois during the MVC conference season.
- The Roos are led by Naomie Alnatas, a two-time Summit League First Team member and 2022 Summit League All-Tournament Team member. Alnatas ranks first in the Summit League in assists per game, and is in the top 10 in several categories including, assist-to-turnover, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, points per game, steals per game and three-pointers per game. She is also one of just 27 players in Division One to notch a triple-double this year.

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