Panthers host Bruins in game two of a two-game homestand

UNI (9-8 / 4-2 MVC) vs. Belmont (10-7 / 5-1 MVC)

2 p.m. CT | January 18, 2024
McLeod Center | Cedar Falls, Iowa
ESPN+
Panther Sports Radio Network

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI women's basketball looks to bounce back after a loss to Murray State in a matchup against the Belmont Bruins on Saturday, January 18. The Panthers and the Bruins have met on five previous occasions, all within the last two seasons and all going the way of Belmont.

UNI is looking to bounce back after a 95-89 loss to Murray State on Thursday. In that matchup, Kayba Laube led the UNI offense with 18 points. She added five rebounds. Five other Panthers saw double figures including Maya McDermott (17), Taryn Wharton (16), Ryley Goebel (10), Emerson Green (10), and Elise Jaeger (10). Maya McDermott recorded seven assists and her 17-point performance was her 16th double-figure performance of the season. Kaylee Corbin knocked down a three-pointer in the first quarter to tie her career high. Maya McDermott recorded her 200th career three-pointer. She became the eighth Panther in UNI history to record 200+ career threes.

UNI continued an active program-record 549-game three-pointer streak that started December 6, 2008, versus Green Bay (6-of-19) following a 0-of-14 outing from behind the three-point arc December 3, 2008, against Northern Illinois. The Panthers knocked down 11 threes against Murray State to continue the streak.

UNI checks in at no. 73 in the NET Rankings. The Panthers rank third in the Valley behind Belmont (57) and Murray State (60). Drake is number four at 80. This will be UNI's second straight Quad 3 matchup after the loss to Murray State on Thursday. The Panthers are 1-2 in Quad 3 matchups with a three-point loss to Kansas, a six-point loss to Murray State, and a 15-point victory over Green Bay November 9.

Kayba Laube continues to eye the 1,000-point club as she sits with 957 points, just 43 short of being UNI's 31st member and fourth member in the last two seasons after Grace Boffeli, Maya McDermott, and Emerson Green joined last season. Laube currently holds UNI's second spot in three-point percentage with a career mark of 42.5% and is on pace to break the Panthers' single-season record of 52.8% set by Kris Huffman in the 1988-89 season. Laube is just two threes away (248) from being the third Panther on UNI's 250+ three-pointer list.

On Wednesday, Maya McDermott was named to the 2025 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award midseason watch list, as announced by Her Hoop Stats. The team included 15 players over 10 conferences. Katie Dinnebier was the other MVC athlete to be named.

As of January 17, the Panther team leads the Valley in a number of statistical categories including three-point percentage (38.6), turnover margin (4.24), and turnovers per game (13.2). UNI also ranks second in the Valley in field goal percentage (46.3) and steals per game (9.5) and is third in assist/turnover ratio (1.14), scoring offense (76.9), threes per game (8.2), and turnovers forced per game (17.41). The Panthers' 38.6% from beyond the arc is the sixth-best mark in the nation. Individually, multiple Panther athletes are among the tops in the Valley. Maya McDermott leads the MVC in assist/turnover ratio (2.52), field goal attempts (274), field goals (128), free throw percentage (93.4), and points per game (20.5). McDermott's 93.4% from the free throw line is ranked 12th in the country while her 20.5 points per game is ranked 17th. McDermott is second in the conference in assists (83) total points (348), and three-point percentage (42.7) while sitting third in assists per game (4.9). Kayba Laube leads the MVC from beyond the arc including three-point percentage (51.9), three-pointers (56), and threes per game (3.29). Laube's 51.9% from deep is the best mark in the country while her 3.29 threes per game is fourth and her 56 total threes are eighth. Laube is third in the Valley with 108 total threes attempted. Ryley Goebel is second in Valley in steals (43), steals per game (2.53), blocks (36), and blocks per game (2.12).

Belmont is coming off an 80-65 victory over then-MVC undefeated Drake on Thursday. In that matchup, the Bruins finished 46.9 percent (30-of-64) from the field and connected on 10 of their 26 three-point attempts (38.5 percent). Drake shot 46.3 percent (25-of-54) for the game. Kendal Cheesman totaled 15 points and five boards, while Jailyn Banks scored 12 and distributed a team-high four assists. Snapping Drake's 19-game winning streak against MVC teams, Belmont handed the Bulldogs their first conference home loss since Jan. 11, 2023. The Bruins scored a season-high 44 points in the first half, trailing for only 3:12 of the game and led by as much as 17 in the second half. Belmont put up 22 points in each of the first three quarters and made a season-high 30 field goals. Coming up with a season-high tying 14 steals and forcing 17 Drake turnovers, the Bruins were hyper-active early on defense and scored 18 points off the Bulldogs' offensive miscues. Belmont was also determined on the offensive glass, outscoring Drake 14-2 on second-chance points courtesy of nine offensive rebounds. The Bruins held the Bulldogs, who entered the night ranked sixth in the nation in made threes per game (10.2), to 6-for-25 (24 percent) shooting from beyond the arc. Just as impressively, Belmont outrebounded Drake 33-32. Entering the game, the Bulldogs ranked 14th nationally in average rebounding margin (10.4). For the ninth time this season four Bruins reached double figures, and eight different players recorded at least a steal led by Tuti Jones' four takeaways. Jones scored a season-high 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting, while senior forward Carmyn Harrison nearly notched a double-double with nine points and a game-best eight rebounds. Five of Harrison's boards were on the offensive glass.

The Bruins lead the Valley in field goal percentage defense, holding opposing teams to just 38.9% from the floor.

UNI women's basketball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Women's Basketball), X (@UNIwbb), and on Instagram (@uni_wbb). The 2024-25 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.

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