University of Northern Iowa
1-7,0-0MVC
South Dakota State
5-3,0-0Summit League
Panthers drop final home, non-conference matchup to South Dakota State
12/9/2023 4:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball
South Dakota State runs prove too much for UNI defense as the Panthers fall 78-59.
CEDAR FALLS --- UNI faced their final home, non-conference opponent of the season on Saturday in a matchup against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. The Panthers got off to a hot start, but were unable to match the Jackrabbit runs down the stretch and fell by a final score of 78-59.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panthers opened the matchup with a three-pointer from Emerson Green on the first offensive possession. Free throws by the Jackrabbits were followed by another bucket from Green to give the Panthers a 5-2 lead early in the opening frame.
Back-to-back three-pointers from Maya McDermott were followed by a layup from Cailyn Morgan to push the Panthers ahead by nine at 13-4. A pair of layups and a free throw from South Dakota State cut the Panther lead to four.
A pair of free throws from McDermott were followed by a seven-point run from the Jackrabbits to take a 16-15 lead. Rachael Heittola ended the run in the last minute of the first quarter with a three-pointer. The Panthers led the Jackrabbits 18-16 heading into the second quarter.
South Dakota State opened the second quarter on an 11-point run which was ended by a step-back three-pointer from Maya McDermott. McDermott rattled off the next eight points for UNI to cut the SDSU lead to just three points at 29-32. Shateah Wetering netted the last Panther points of the second quarter on a layup. The Jackrabbits held a 34-31 lead heading into the second half.
A jump shot from Emerson Green got the third quarter underway before an eight-point run from the Jackrabbits. A free throw and jump shot from Taryn Wharton brought the Panthers back to within eight at 44-36 in favor of South Dakota State. Out of a timeout, Ryley Goebel knocked down a pair of free throws for her first points of the contest. The free throws were followed by another South Dakota State three-pointer.
Back-and-forth baskets including a buzzer-beating three-pointer from the Jackrabbits saw a 58-41 lead for SDSU heading into the final frame of the matchup.
A layup from Heittola opened the fourth quarter for the Panthers which was followed by a jump shot from Taryn Wharton to cut into the Jackrabbit lead. Shateah Wetering scored the next four points for the Panthers on a layup and a pair of free throws. South Dakota State scored on back-to-back layups to hold a 67-49 lead going into a media timeout with 4:10 left in the matchup.
The final 4:10 saw the Jackrabbits score 11 points to the Panthers' nine to claim a 78-59 victory. Maya McDermott led the game with 23 points. She added six rebounds and two steals while shooting 50% (5-of-10) from beyond the arc. She was the lone Panther in double digits in the matchup with Emerson Green and Rachael Heittola recording nine-point games against the Jackrabbits.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- South Dakota State extended their series lead to 12 wins and five losses with the victory including a 5-3 record in Cedar Falls.
- Maya McDermott tied a career-high with 23 points.
- McDermott remains perfect from the line this season with 15-of-15 free throws falling for the guard.
- Cailyn Morgan tied her career-high with three steals.
UP NEXT
The Panthers hit the road again to round out the non-conference slate with a matchup at Iowa State. Northern Iowa and the Cyclones are set to clash on December 20 at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on Big 12 on ESPN+. The matchup can also be listened to on the Panther Sports Radio Network.
