The UNI women’s basketball team started off their 2016-2017 campaign with a very nice win over the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) Jaguars, 69-62, last Thursday in Indianapolis.

The Panthers then proceeded to drop the next game against their intrastate rivals over at Iowa State. The Cyclones pulled out the 76-68 win this past Tuesday.

In their victory against Indiana, the first half started well for UNI, who shot 56 percent from the field and limited the Jags to 43 percent. UNI also made one more three than IUPUI, but took six more in the half.

In the second half, UNI dropped to 45 percent from the field while IUPUI  dropped to 41 percent. UNI never trailed after taking the seven to five lead, until one put the Jags up to end the third. The Panthers eventually managed to pull away in the fourth.

The win against IUPUI saw the leaders emerge for UNI. Unsurprisingly, they came from the starting five on the court. Seniors Madison Weekly and Hannah Schonhardt both displayed the ability to score, putting up 15 and 11 points respectively.

Weekly also led the team with five assists versus zero turnovers. Schonhardt had a team-high six rebounds, five of which were defensive. The MVP of the game, however, had to be Ellie Herzberg.

She was lights-out, shooting nearly 70 percent on 9-13 shots. She went 3-4 from deep as well. Throwing in the five rebounds and two steals resulted in a very well-rounded game.

The ISU game was not a pretty game for either team. Whether poor offense or great defense was the cause remains to be seen.

Neither team shot at or above 45 percent in either half, possibly aided by the six blocks each team gathered. The first half saw UNI shoot 34 percent from the field and 21 percent from three. ISU meanwhile got to 38 percent and 33 percent in those categories themselves.

Both teams improved after the half; UNI reached 43 percent and 26 percent. That improvement was one-upped by the Cyclones 44 percent and 37 percent increases in shooting percentages.

The starters carried the team once more. This time senior Angie Davison got to join Weekly, Herzberg, and Schonberg as a double-digit scorer. She put in 12 points to go with two assists and a team high of two blocks.

Davison was also the best shooter from three-point territory, hitting 2-5. Weekly and Herzberg chipped in 15 and 12 points apiece. Weekly led the team with seven assists. The MVP for this game though was Schonberg: 10 pts, 12 rebs, 2 blks, 1 ast.

The stat line speaks for itself, the first Panther double-double of the season. Schonberg also had the second best shooting percentage on the team, 44 percent, topped only by freshman Megan Maas’s 50 percent, 3-6 effort.

Not an ideal start to the season, but a decent win and a close loss are experiences to build off.

UNI’s next game will take place this Sunday at McLeod versus Wisconsin-Parkside.