WBB continue 9-game win streak

  • Madison Weekly (7) ignores the tough defense and drives toward the basket in a home game against the South Dakota Coyotes.

    LOGAN WINFORD
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  • Madison Weekly (2) finishes strong and lays the ball in. The UNI women’s basketball team is currently on a nine-game winning streak after their two recent wins on the road.

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  • Ellie Herzberg, redshirt sophomore, gets ready to shoot. Her current shooting average is 10.3 points.

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BRENNAN WHISLER, Sports Columnist
Jan 19, 2017

The UNI women’s basketball team went on the road this week and came back home with two blowout wins. The team traveled to Illinois State on Friday and dismantled the Redbirds 78-40. They then went West to defeat the Bradley Braves 72-53 on Sunday.

This extended UNI’s win streak to nine and put them 13-4 and 6-0 in conference play, both tied with Drake for first in  the Mississippi Valley Conference.

In the first game against Illinois State, UNI shot over 47 percent, missed only one free throw, had 21 assists to 11 turnovers and the starters got to rest. Thirteen players got court time, and all but one scored.

Perhaps the only blemish for the Panthers was their 22 percent three-point shooting. UNI scored 28 in the first quarter and 50 over the first half, both season highs. Illinois State reached 11 at the half for contrast.

The first bucket of the second contest didn’t occur until nearly four minutes into the game. However, it was still a great game for the Panthers as they shot 45 percent from the field while holding Bradley to 38 percent themselves.

Neither team shot the three-ball all that well and, both teams also shot about 75 percent from the charity stripe.

Senior Madison Weekly showed why she’s a conference leader in scoring, reaching 20-plus points for the sixth time this season as she reached 23. She also recorded three rebounds and four assists.

Freshman Megan Maahs stole the show with her first career double-double, 12 points and 11 rebounds. She also notched six blocks and two steals. UNI set team records on Bradley’s court; their total of six turnovers broke the previous record of eight, which was set three years ago.

UNI also tied the record for team blocks with nine. Maahs also tied the individual block record with six.

UNI puts their record on the line against Indiana State Friday at McLeod. ISU is currently third in the Valley. They will then play last in the conference Loyola on Sunday.

A week after ISU, the Panthers meet the Bulldogs for what could be a crucial matchup as both teams could be 8-0 and tied for first.