University of Northern Iowa
5-10,4-2MVC
Belmont
13-5,6-1MVC
Panthers face first loss of 2024 against Belmont
1/21/2024 4:40:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Maya McDermott scored her 1,000th career point in a 72-67 loss to the Belmont Bruins.
CEDAR FALLS --- UNI women's basketball welcomed the Belmont Bruins into the McLeod Center on Sunday afternoon. The Panthers and the Bruins battled back and forth all 40 minutes, but it was Belmont that squeaked out ahead in the final number of possessions and handed the Panthers their first loss of 2024.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Emerson Green opened the matchup with nine points for the Panthers before Maya McDermott tallied her first points. Belmont scored three straight three-pointers to open their scoring before netting another pair of threes after a layup. The Bruins held a four-point lead at 19-15 into the first media timeout. The Panthers ended the first quarter on a seven-point run to take a 22-21 lead heading into the second quarter.
The Bruins opened the second quarter on a 6-0 run before a Cailyn Morgan layup ended the streak. Back-and-forth buckets including a pair of Belmont three-pointers saw Belmont hold a slim lead heading into halftime with a score of 35-31 in favor of the Bruins.
Out of the halftime break, the Panthers and the Bruins traded points before a five-point Belmont run put them ahead by a score of 45-38 heading into the media timeout. Out of the timeout, a three-pointer from McDermott was bookended with a pair of Belmont free throws before a pair of jumpers from Cailyn Morgan and one from Grace Boffeli. Free throws from Boffeli were the final points for UNI in the third quarter which ended with Belmont on top and a score of 56-49.
Rachael Heittola opened the fourth quarter with a basket before Grace Boffeli netted four straight points to pull the Panthers within three at 55-58. The Bruins responded with a three-pointer before McDermott was able to see a jumper drop. An and-one layup from both teams and several free throws down the stretch saw Belmont come away with a 72-67 victory.
Grace Boffeli led the Panther offense with 15 points. She added 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season and 27th of her career. Maya McDermott and Emerson Green were the only other Panthers in double figures with McDermott recording 14 points and Green tallying 12.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI is still searching for its first win against the Bruins with all four contests to this point going the way of Belmont.
- Grace Boffeli passed Allison Starr (1996-00) for ninth on the career rebounding list. Boffeli has recorded 715 rebounds with the Panthers and is 28 shy of Erin Brocka's (2007-11) No. eight spot with 743 rebounds.
- Guard Maya McDermott scored her 1,000th career point in the second quarter. She became the 27th member of UNI's 1,000-point club and the 10th in the Tanya Warren era.
UP NEXT
The Panthers hit the road for a matchup with the Redbirds of Illinois State on January 25. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT and can be streamed on ESPN+ or listened to on the Panther Sports Radio Network.
