Feb. 20-24
Feb. 21 UNI vs. Creighton 7:05 p.m. McLeod Center
Feb. 24 UNI vs. Drake 3:05 p.m. McLeod Center
The Panthers will play in their final two home games of the season this week when they host Creighton and Drake. UNI will recognize its lone senior, Traci Ollendieck, before the game on Sunday. KWLO 1330 AM will broadcast both games, with Dallas Kincaid providing play-by-play.
The University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team will play in its final home games of the season when it hosts Creighton on Thursday and Drake on Sunday. The Panthers have won four of their last five home games going into this final homestand.
The Bluejays (15-8, 8-4) enter Thursday's game as winners of six of their last seven games, including a 2-1 record on the road. Creighton picked up a pair of wins last week, and they knocked Evansville out of a tie for first with an 82-71 win over the Aces on Sunday. Kelsey Woodard and Sara Cain are leading Creighton with 10.3 and 10.2 points per game. Woodard, a five-time MVC Newcomer of the Week honoree, is averaging 12.8 points per game in conference play.
Drake (15-8, 8-4) enters the weekend after picking up a 72-57 win over Southern Illinois on Sunday. The Bulldogs are led by the Valley's top scorer, Jill Martin, who is averaging 17.0 points per game this season. Martin is second in the league with 8.6 rebounds per game. Lindsay Whorton is second in scoring for the Bulldogs with 14.4 points per game.
UNI vs. CREIGHTON
This is the 39th meeting between UNI and Creighton, and the Bluejays lead the overall series 26-12. The last time the teams met in Cedar Falls, UNI edged the Bluejays 78-72 in overtime.
This is the second time UNI head coach Tanya Warren has faced her alma mater. The teams last met on Jan. 24 in Omaha, and Creighton claimed a 71-63 win over the Panthers. Traci Ollendieck led the Panthers with 19 points, nine rebounds and four steals in that loss.
UNI vs. DRAKE
This is the 62nd meeting between UNI and Drake, and the Bulldogs lead the overall series, 49-12. The last time the teams met in Cedar Falls, the Panthers escaped with a 73-68 win. The Bulldogs claimed the last meeting in the series, picking up a 66-63 win on a three at the buzzer in Des Moines on Jan. 27. Lizzie Boeck finished with 17 points and seven rebounds, all on the offensive end, in that game, while Jacqui Kalin finished with 14 points and four assists for UNI.
GET TO SIXTY
The Panthers have had a tough time winning when not reaching 60 points. The Panthers have fallen below that mark 10 times this season, and they are 1-9 when scoring fewer than 60 points. On the other hand, the Panthers are 9-5 in games where they score 60 or more points.
SENIOR DAY
The Panthers will recognize the team's lone senior, Traci Ollendieck, when the team plays in its final home game of the season Sunday afternoon against Drake. Ollendieck is averaging 8.5 points and 5.5 rebounds on the season. Ollendieck has made 125 threes in her career, ranking fourth on UNI's all-time career records. Eighty-four of those have come in the last two seasons. Ollendieck graduated in May and is pursuing a master's degree in business administration.
IN-STATE SUCCESS
Sunday's game against Drake will be the fourth meeting against in-state rivals this season. A pair of Panther freshmen, Jacqui Kalin and Lizzie Boeck, have found success against the other Iowa schools. Kalin is averaging 16.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists in nearly 36 minutes of action in those three games. Boeck averages 10.0 points and 4.0 rebounds while averaging just 16 minutes against Iowa, Iowa State and Drake.
ON THE REBOUND
The Panthers have a negative rebounding margin on the season, but that has started to change. In UNI's last five outings, UNI has grabbed an average of 38.8 rebounds, while opponents are averaging 34.8. Traci Ollendieck is averaging 8.6 rebounds per game in those games, and Lizzie Boeck and averages 6.2.
GUARDING THE GLASS
Since entering conference play, the Panthers have been led in rebounding by senior guard Traci Ollendieck. Ollendieck is averaging 7.1 rebounds per game in MVC games. Ollendieck is averaging 5.5 rebounds per game on the season, and she finished with a career-high 14 rebounds against Evansville
FIRST-YEAR SUCCESS
With the two wins last week, head coach Tanya Warren has earned the most wins by a UNI first-year head coach since the school moved to Division I in 1982. At 9-13, Warren has two more victories than the previous mark, a 7-21 season by Tony DiCecco in his first year at the helm.
FANTASTIC FRESHMEN
Jacqui Kalin and Lizzie Boeck have each picked up Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week honors this season. Boeck picked up the award following a week where she averaged 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds. Boeck shot 54.5 percent from the floor in UNI's games against Creighton and Drake. On Jan. 24, she scored 10 points and collected two rebounds against Creighton. Against Drake, the freshman scored a career-high 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting. She also grabbed seven rebounds, all on the offensive end, and collected two blocked shots in that game. Kalin has picked up the honors twice this season. She picked up the accolades Dec. 3 following a week where she averaged 14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, and on Feb. 11 after averaging 11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists in wins over Illinois State and Indiana State.
COMEBACK KIDS
The Panthers' win over Indiana State in the McLeod Center on Saturday was the first time this season that UNI has won a game after trailing at the break. The Panthers had come back to take leads against Iowa, UMBC, South Dakota State, at Indiana State and Drake, but failed to hold on for a win until Saturday. UNI trailed the Sycamores by 11 at the break, and fell behind by 15 in the second half before coming back for a 68-65 win.
TRIPLE THREATS
The Panthers' three-point attack goes beyond guards Nicole Clausen and Traci Ollendieck While those two are combining for almost four threes per game, the rest of the team has been chipping in as well. In UNI's last two games, all eight players who saw action attempted a three-point attempt, and six different Panthers connected from behind the arc.
BREAKING THE TREND
Through UNI's first 19 games, the team that has been leading at halftime has gone on to win the game. Evansville broke the streak, however, as UNI held a three-point advantage at the break but fell to the Aces, 57-52 on Saturday. It was the first time the Panthers lost at home after leading at halftime since Jan. 11, 2007, when Evansville erased a three-point halftime deficit to take a 56-54 win.
HONORS FOR BOECK
Freshman Lizzie Boeck earned Newcomer of the Week honors on Jan. 28. The Milwaukee, Wis., native picked up the award following a week where she averaged 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds. Boeck shot 54.5 percent from the floor in UNI's games against Creighton and Drake. On Jan. 24, she scored 10 points and collected two rebounds against Creighton. Against Drake, the freshman scored a career-high 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting. She also grabbed seven rebounds, all on the offensive end, and collected two blocked shots in that game. Boeck is averaging 7.5 points and 3.3 rebounds this season.
THIRTYSOMETHINGS
UNI gave up just 30 points against Wichita State on Saturday, the fewest points allowed since moving to Division I in 1982. It was the second time this season the Panthers held an opponent to fewer than 40 points, and the fourth time since moving to Division I. This was the fewest points allowed by UNI since topping Luther 31-30 on Feb. 17, 1973.
GUARDING THE BOARDS
A trio of Panther guards has been clearing the boards for UNI over the last seven games. Danielle Wubbens, Traci Ollendieck and Nicole Clausen combined for an average of 15.7 rebounds per game during that stretch. Ollendieck is the Panthers' second-leading rebounder on the season, averaging 4.8 per game.
BY MENNEN
Alexa Mennen has turned into a new player as the Panthers have entered MVC play. In UNI's 11 non-conference games, Mennen averaged 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per contest. In the Panthers' five league games, however, the sophomore is averaging 10.0 points, third on the team, and a team-leading 5.6 rebounds per contest. She is shooting 58.3 percent from the floor during that span, and she has collected two blocked shots and four steals in league play.
BELL JOINS PANTHERS
Des Moines native Charmaine Bell has transferred from Northern Illinois to join the Panther team. The 5-10 guard owns several school records at Roosevelt High and was twice named state tournament MVP. She will sit out the rest of this season and the fall 2008 semester, according to NCAA rules. At this time she is planning on redshirting all of next season so she will enter the 2009-10 campaign with three full years of eligibility.
BACK ON TRACK
The Panthers started the season as one of the hottest three-point shooting teams in the nation, shooting 37.2 percent from behind the arc and averaging 8.75 threes per game through their first eight games. After making a school-record 17 threes against UMBC, the Panthers' three-point shooting went cold, connecting on just 19-of-90 (21.1 percent) from three-point range over the next five games. The Panthers looked to be back on track against Indiana State, shooting 45.8 percent from long distance, and making 11 threes in the overtime loss. The Panthers have made 115 threes on the season, making them 67 shy of the team record for threes in a season. UNI needs to average 4.8 threes over the next 14 games to tie that mark.
STARTING ROTATION
In their 12 games, the Panthers used five different starting lineups, and 10 different Panthers have found their way into the starting five. Of the nine players currently suiting up for UNI, eight have started. Danielle Wubbens and Jacqui Kalin are the only Panthers to start every game this year.
DOUBLING UP
Erin Brocka recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the Panthers' win over Weber State on Nov. 16.
SHARING THE WEALTH
In UNI's first four games, the Panthers had four different leading scorers. In each of those instances, the Panther who led the way also set a career high for scoring. Danielle Wubbens scored 14 to lead UNI to a win over Colorado State. Kristin Iehl set a new career mark with 15 points against Minnesota. Nicole Clausen scored 15 points to lead the Panthers past Weber State, and Clausen and Jacqui Kalin each scored 14 points to lead the Panthers against Iowa, a career mark for Kalin.
LONG DECEMBER
The Panthers hit the road for five straight away contests in December and were unable to collect a win during that span. UNI held second-half leads against both UMBC and South Dakota State but the home team was able to come away with the win in both games. The Panther offense struggled during the month, and UNI averaged just 49.8 points per game in those five contest.
KEEFE LEAVES
University of Northern Iowa senior forward Megan Keefe has left the team, head coach Tanya Warren announced last week. Keefe is leaving due to personal reasons, and she will remain enrolled in classes at UNI.
Keefe has played in 90 games for the Panthers in her career, averaging 5.6 points per game. She has started seven games this season, averaging nearly 25 minutes per game.
NEW ERA
In April, Tanya Warren became the seventh head coach of the UNI women's basketball program. Only two Panther coaches have posted winning records in their inaugural campaigns. Wanda Green finished 4-1 in the programs first season, 1968-69, and J.D. Anderson led the Panthers to an 18-10 season in 1980-81. Both seasons occurred before the Panthers moved to Division I. Warren needs eight wins to earn the most by a Panther first-year head coach in the Division I era.
YOUNG GUNS
With 11 of 12 players on the roster being freshmen and sophomores, UNI will rely on its young players to contribute right away this season. The Panthers started three freshmen and one sophomore in their win over Colorado State. Sophomore Danielle Wubbens led the Panthers with 14 points, and sophomore Nicole Clausen came off the bench to score 13. Erin Brocka scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds in her collegiate debut, and freshman Jacqui Kalin scored eight points and dished out six assists.
ONE GAME, ONE WIN
Tanya Warren earned her first career victory as a head coach when the Panthers topped Colorado State 72-58 Friday night. Only two other Panther head coaches won their debut games, Wanda Green in 1968 (the programs' first season) and J.D. Anderson in 1980. Warren is the first to accomplish the feat since UNI joined the Division I ranks in 1982.
PANTHERS SIGN THREE
UNI signed three players this November. Indy Uhlenhopp from North Butler High School and Katelin Oney and Kaitlin Armstrong from Cedar Rapids Washington High School have all agreed to play for the Panthers in 2008-09.
Indy Uhlenhopp is a three-time all-state, all-district and all-conference selection at North Butler High School. The 5-11 guard was also named to the all-state tournament team in 2005-06 and 2006-07, helping North Butler finish as 2A state champions in 2006 and 2007.
Katelin Oney averaged 15.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game as a junior. She was a first-team all-Mississippi Valley Conference selection and a second-team all-state pick that year. Along with Oney,
Kaitlin "K.K." Armstrong helped Cedar Rapids Washinton reach the state semi-finals in 2006-07, and finish as state runners up in 2005-06 and 2004-05 in class 4A. As a junior, Armstrong averaged 13.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, along with 2.2 steals and 2.8 assists.
INSIDE OUT
Danielle Wubbens spent most of the 2006-07 season in at the post. With the addition of several posts to the roster, the 5-8 sophomore has been able to move back to her natural position on the perimeter.
USED TO WINNING
UNI's four in-state freshmen all join the Panther squad after tasting success in high school Erin Brocka helped North Butler win back-to-back 2A state titles. Jacqui Kalin led Sioux City North to a 4A championship in 2007, and Nelia Olson's IKM finished second in 1A in 2007, a year after winning the state title. In class 3A, Rachel Madrigal helped Decorah finish undefeated in the regular season.
PANTHERS PICKED SEVENTH
In a conference filled with teams with 3 or more starters returning, league coaches, SIDs and media members voted UNI to finish seventh in the standings this year.
CHUCK MADNESS
In 2008, the Missouri Valley Conference will hold the women's basketball tournament at a neutral site for the first time. The league's 10 teams will each head to St. Charles, Mo., from March 13-16 to fight for the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The four-day tournament will be held at The Family Arena. Tournament information can be found at www.mvcstcharles.com.
THE LAST TIME OUT
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- An early 17-0 run by Missouri State proved to be too much for the University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team to overcome in a 73-56 loss in the Hammons Student Center Saturday afternoon.
Nicole Clausen led UNI (10-14, 6-7) with 18 points. Lizzie Boeck finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Four Lady Bears scored in double digits, led by Tahnee Balerio with 18 points. Tiffany Coppage added 15 for MSU (9-15, 7-6).
Jacqui Kalin hit a short jumper to put UNI on the board first, but the Lady Bears used five threes over in a span of four minutes to go on a 17-0 run and take a 17-2 lead with 14:05 to play in the half.
Danielle Wubbens made one of two free throws at 11:27 to end a seven-minute scoring drought by UNI. MSU scored the game's next four points, extending its lead to 21-3 with 10:17 on the clock.
Lizzie Boeck scored on the block for the Panthers, and Kalin found Nicole Clausen ahead of the pack on a fast break, and the basket brought the score to 21-7.
Trailing 23-9, Boeck converted a three-point play to pull the Panthers within 11, 23-12. Tiffany Coppage hit a three for the Bears, however, to keep the MSU lead at 14.
The Panthers were able to climb back within 12, but Coppage connected twice from behind the arc to extend the Lady Bear lead to 36-17 with 2:40 left in the period.
Wubbens made a pair of free throws, and Clausen hit the Panthers' first three of the game to bring the score to 36-22 in favor of MSU. Clausen knocked down a baseline jumper with six seconds left in the period to end the half on a 7-0 UNI run and send the Panthers into the locker room trailing, 36-24.
Clausen connected on a pair of free throws to make it a 10-point game, 36-26, but a three-point play from Balerio and a three from Marisha Brown stretched the MSU lead back to 16, 42-26 with 18:49 to play.
Clausen and Alexa Mennen each scored on the block to pull the Panthers back within a dozen, 42-28, with 16 minutes left. The MSU lead stayed between 12 and 16 points until a jump shot in the lane by Balerio put the Lady Bears in front, 55-38 with 8:36 remaining.
A free throw from Jamie Adams followed by a three from Brown gave the Lady Bears a 59-38 lead with 6:40 to play. The Lady Bears led by at least 15 the rest of the way.
The Panthers shot 18-of-52 (35 percent) from the floor, including 3-of-19 (16 percent) from three-point range. UNI finished 17-of-21 (81 percent) from the free-throw line.
Missouri State shot 23-of-49 (47 percent) from the floor, including 13-of-24 (54.2 percent) from behind the arc. The Lady Bears were 14-of-19 (74 percent) from the free-throw line.
