University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
13-12,9-6MVC
Southern Illinois
9-15,6-9MVC
UNI women’s basketball: Panthers down Salukis in a 29-point rout
2/19/2026 8:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Jenna Twedt and Ryley Goebel combined for 47 points in UNI’s 77-48 victory over SIU.
CARBONDALE, Illinois --- UNI women's basketball put on a clinic inside the Banterra Center, shooting 47.5% (28-for-59) from the floor and 43.5% (10-for-23) from deep to claim a 29-point victory over SIU. The duo of Jenna Twedt and Ryley Goebel paced the Panthers with 27 and 20 points, respectively, to lift the Panthers over the Salukis, 77-48.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Ryley Goebel was responsible for UNI's first six points and single-handedly outpaced the Salukis over the first five minutes of play as the Cats led 6-5 at the midway point of the first quarter. Three-pointers from Jenna Twedt and Taryn Wharton were six of UNI's remaining nine points in the frame as the Cats finished with a 15-14 lead after 10 minutes on the floor.
Jenna Twedt came out of the huddle hot with UNI's next five points, followed by back-to-back buckets from Goebel. The Saluki offense answered every Panther run with one of their own as the Cats owned a two-point advantage at 26-24 with just under five minutes to play in the half. Twedt made her presence felt to close the second quarter with 11 of UNI's last 13 points, including the final eight of the frame. The Panthers held a 39-31 lead going into the locker room, thanks to an 8-2 run from Jenna Twedt over the Salukis.
Jenna Twedt led the Panther offense with 19 points at the half, 12 of which came from beyond the arc. She shot 80% (4-for-5) from deep in the first half. Ryley Goebel also finished the first half in double-figures with 10 points in the opening frame. Elise Jaeger brought in five boards in the opening 20 minutes of the matchup.
Kaylynn Janes and Ryley Goebel combined for the first eight Panther points of the third quarter, including a three-pointer from Janes, to push the Panther lead to 13 points at 47-34. Goebel scored five straight for the Panthers midway through the third frame to keep pace with the Saluki offense, while Lauren Walker drained a triple to close the quarter. UNI led 57-41 after three quarters of action.
It was all UNI in the final frame, as the Panthers had runs of 8-0, 7-0, and 5-0 throughout the 10 minutes of action. The Panther defense held SIU to just seven points in the quarter, while the offense exploded for 20 to claim the 77-48 victory inside the Banterra Center.
Jenna Twedt led the Panther offense with 27 points. She added a team-high eight rebounds and shot 6-for-9 from beyond the arc. Ryley Goebel joined her in the 20-point club with 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting with seven rebounds and three blocks. Kaylynn Janes finished in double-figures for the Panthers with 16 points.
"I thought we did a terrific job of defending," said head coach Tanya Warren. "One of our emphases was to limit second-chance points and to rebound the basketball, and I think we did that. And then I thought we did a terrific job of executing and making the extra pass. You know, I have said all year long that, when we have balance, we are pretty good. Great team win! That team was playing extremely well. I am very proud of how we came out tonight. Especially after we lost EJ [Elise Jaeger], I thought we had a lot of kids step up."
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI improved to 13-12 on the season and 9-6 in Valley play after the victory over Southern Illinois. The cats are now 53-35 all-time over SIU, including 16-1 in their last 17 and 7-0 in the last seven.
- The Panthers continued an active program-record 571-game three-pointer streak with 10 triples against the Salukis.
- UNI is now 11-1 when three or more players score in double figures. (Twedt 27, Goebel 20, Janes 16)
- Elise Jaeger moved up to No. 3 on UNI's single-season defensive rebounding list as she passed Alex Cook (2004-05) with five defensive rebounds against SIU. She sits with 228 defensive rebounds this season. Her five total rebounds against the Salukis pushed her into the No. 6 spot on the Panthers' single-season rebounding list, passing Lizzie Boeck (2010-11) and Erin Brocka (2009-10). She now sits with 252 total rebounds this season.
- Virginia Edmondson recorded a career-high two steals.
- Jenna Twedt set a career high with eight rebounds and tied a career high with six three-pointers.
UP NEXT
The Panthers stay on the road for a matchup at Evansville on Saturday, February 21. Tipoff against the Purple Aces in Indiana is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN+ and 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.
