University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
1-3,0-0MVC
Creighton
1-3,0-0Big East
UNI women’s basketball: Panthers upset Bluejays for their first victory of the season
11/20/2025 8:26:00 PM | Women's Basketball
UNI women’s basketball picked up its first victory of the season with a 51-50 at Creighton.
OMAHA, Nebraska --- UNI women's basketball traveled to head coach Tanya Warren's alma mater, Creighton on Thursday to take on the Bluejays. The Bluejays dominated the first half, but the Panthers flipped a switch in the locker room at halftime and took over the matchup in the second half, coming away with a 51-50 victory over Creighton, claiming their first victory of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panther offense opened the game hot and converted on six of their first 14 shots for a 42.9% field goal percentage in the first quarter. A four-point run for UNI opened scoring in the matchup with another four-point run from Taryn Wharton shortly thereafter. Ryley Goebel added four straight points of her own later in the frame while Creighton knocked down three triples in the first 10 minutes and held a 17-14 advantage at the first break.
The Panther offense struggled in the second quarter as they knocked down just three field goals, including one three-pointer, scoring just eight points in the frame. Bri Robinson accounted for six of the eight Panther points in the quarter as Creighton closed the first half on a 15-2 run over six and a half minutes to take a 10-point lead into the halftime break as the Panthers trailed 22-32 after 20 minutes on the floor. Both Goebel and Robinson accounted for eight points and three boards a piece in the first half.
The UNI defense shone to open the third quarter as they held the Bluejays scoreless for close to seven minutes and allowed just five Creighton points in the frame. The Panthers scored 11 points on four field goals, including a three from Jenna Twedt, in the 10 minutes to cut the Bluejay lead to four heading into the final frame.
The fourth quarter was one for the books. The Panthers opened the final frame with eight straight points to take a four-point lead over Creighton. The Bluejays tied the contest at 41 before Ryley Goebel took over with six of the next eight Panther points to just two from the Bluejays to take a 49-45 lead with just under a minute and a half remaining in the contest. Taryn Wharton and Virginia Edmondson hit clutch free throws down the stretch to hold a four point lead with 18 seconds left. Creighton knocked down a three pointer and benefited from a UNI turnover to regain possession with eight seconds left down one point. The last-second heave was too strong as the Panthers escaped with a one-point victory at the final buzzer.
Ryley Goebel led all scorers with 19 points, just two shy of a career high. She added eight boards and a pair of blocks. Elise Jaeger finished with 13 rebounds and three steals on the night while Bri Robinson tallied 10 points and six boards.
"We showed a lot of grit and toughness down the stretch," said head coach Tanya Warren. "I think we were down eight or ten somewhere in the second half and we just kept chipping away. Just a huge win. I thought Ryley Goebel was terrific and I felt like we got a lot of good play out of a lot of different people. I thought Bri was terrific, I thought Virginia came in and did some really good things. We're going through some growing pains, and that's what young teams do, but I am very proud of this group."
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI claimed its first victory of the season and improved to 1-3 with the 51-50 victory.
- The victory was the Panthers' first win over Creighton since a 64-63 victory in the 2021 WNIT. It is UNI's first victory in Omaha over the Bluejays since a 58-57 victory in 2011.
- UNI continued an active program-record 550-game three-pointer streak with three triples against Creighton.
- Elise Jaeger's 13 rebounds were a career high.
- Ryley Goebel's five free throws were a career high.
- Bri Robinson tied career highs with six rebounds and four field goals.
UP NEXT
The Panthers head to Las Vegas for the UNLV Thanksgiving Tournament. UNI will take on Northern Arizona on Wednesday, November 26 at 4:30 p.m. CT before matching up with the UNLV Rebels on Friday, November 28 at 4:30 p.m. CT. UNI's matchup against NAU will be streamed on Youtube while the Panther matchup against UNLV will be streamed on the Mountain West Network. Both will be available on the Panther Sports Radio Network.
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 2025-26 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
