University of Northern Iowa
13-11,8-5MVC
Belmont
16-8,11-2MVC
Panthers down Bruins for the first time in program history
2/13/2025 8:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball
UNI women’s basketball ended Belmont’s 10-game streak with a 73-61 victory in Nashville.
NASHVILLE --- UNI women's basketball headed to Nashville, Tennessee to take on the Belmont Bruins in a rematch of the Panthers' January 18th loss to Belmont inside the McLeod Center. The Bruins came into the matchup on a 10-game win streak which looked to be in jeopardy right from the tip. The Panthers opened the matchup in a big way, but cooled off in the second quarter. A big second half from the Cats boosted the Purple and Gold over Belmont by a final score of 73-61.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UNI came out firing on all cylinders with a 14-2 run to open the contest. Maya McDermott scored five of the 14 Panther points in the run. Another seven-point run, including five from Elise Jaeger, gave UNI a 15-point lead at 21-6 just past the midway point of the opening frame. Belmont closed the first quarter on a seven-point run to cut the UNI lead to eight at 21-13. The Cats shot 56.3% (9-of-16) from the floor and 100% (2-of-2) from deep in the opening 10 minutes of play.
The Bruins came alive in the second quarter as they put together a 17-8 frame. A 12-1 run from Belmont late in the second quarter saw the Bruins take a lead at 27-25 late in the quarter. Belmont held a 30-29 lead heading into the halftime break after holding the UNI offense to just 17.6% (3-of-17) from the floor and 6-of-6 from beyond the arc.
UNI opened the second half on a five-point run to get out to a 34-30 lead with another five-point run after a three-point play from Belmont to hold a 39-33 lead early in the third quarter. A six-point lead later in the frame saw the Bruins take the lead back at 43-42 before UNI closed the quarter on a 7-2 run to hold a 49-45 lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
The senior trio of Maya McDermott, Kayba Laube, and Emerson Green lit it up in the third quarter with 19 of the Panthers' 24 points in the final frame. The Panthers had three different five-point runs to push out to double figures and down the league leader by 12 points. Maya McDermott led the UNI offense with 21 points. She added a game-high six assists to her total. Three other Panthers scored in double figures to lift the Panthers over the Bruins including Emerson Green with 15, Kayba Laube with 13, and Elise Jaeger with 11. Ryley Goebel led the Panthers with eight boards while Elise Jaeger blocked three shots.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI scored its first victory over the Belmont Bruins in program history with the 73-61 victory inside the Curb Event Center. UNI is now 13-11 overall and 8-5 in conference play.
- UNI continued an active program-record 556-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 six threes against Belmont to continue the streak.
- Kayba Laube moved up to no. 2 on UNI's all-time three-pointer list, passing Madison Weekly's (2013-17) mark of 256 threes. Laube has knocked down 257 three-pointers in her Panther career.
- Maya McDermott finished with 21 points. Her 21st double-figure outing and 12th 20+-point outing moved the senior guard into UNI's no. 4 spot on the program's all-time scoring list. McDermott passed Madison Weekly's mark of 1,765 career points and sits with 1,774 points in her collegiate career.
- Elise Jaeger finished the matchup with a career-high three blocks.
UP NEXT
The Panthers continue their road trip with a matchup against Murray State on Saturday, Feb. 15 inside the CFSB Center. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. CT in Murray, Kentucky with the matchup available to stream on ESPN+ or over the airwaves 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 2024-25 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
