After a convincing home opener win against the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, the Northern Iowa women’s basketball team took a trip up north for their first road competition. On Saturday, Nov. 11, the Panthers visited the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in their second non-conference meeting. No matter the program, the first away game for any basketball team can prove challenging. Getting into a rhythm offensively and staying sharp on the defensive end can be difficult. However, the UNI women overcame these struggles after a slow start to convincingly defeat the Phoenix 71-56.
Maya McDermott led the way for Northern Iowa, cashing in 22 points on a productive 50% from the field on 18 shots. She also dished out seven assists and grabbed two rebounds. McDermott’s 22 points were enough to vault her into eighth place on the UNI women’s basketball all-time scoring leaderboard. Now at 1,351 career points, McDermott chases former UNI great Lizzie Boeck’s 1,405 total for the rights to seventh place in the record book. The senior is off to a smoldering start in possibly her final campaign as a Panther, averaging 20 points and seven assists through the first two games of the season.
The Panthers and Phoenixes were neck-and-neck following tip-off, with each side unable to take complete control. Sophomore guard Bri Robinson made a mid-range jumper to cut the Green Bay advantage to 10-11 on the heels of seven early lead changes. Northern Iowa closed the first quarter on a short 4-0 run to go up 12-11. Luckily, UNI outscored the Phoenix 29-13 in a monstrous second quarter to take a commanding lead going into halftime. Kayba Laube provided an offensive spark for the Panthers as she and McDermott combined for back-to-back threes to go in front 41-24 at the break. Likewise, forward Grace Boffeli played a crucial role in this run, grabbing five defensive rebounds and chipping in four points during the quarter. Boffeli ended the contest with 16 points and eight rebounds while nabbing three steals. Fellow forward Ryley Goebel also had three steals and chipped in four blocks as a defensive presence in the lane. Goebel finished with eight points and a team-high ten rebounds to anchor the Panthers down low.
Northern Iowa saw major bench production from junior guard Taryn Wharton, who played 26 minutes. Wharton shot 6/9 from the field, including 3/4 from downtown. Adding 16 points off the bench, she was part of an efficient Panther group that nailed 54% of their field goal attempts and 44% of their downtown shots.
The UNI women will look to build on their two strong performances before a home meeting against Ball State on Nov. 16. The Panthers return to Mcleod Center on Nov. 20 to take on the No. 8-ranked Iowa State Cyclones in a high-profile matchup. Northern Iowa then enters a tough non-conference stretch, traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands to compete in the Paradise Jam Tournament for the first time in school history. A slate of games against Auburn, Kansas and Pittsburg will surely provide steep competition for the purple and gold.
