• Roster
• ▪
• Schedule / Results
• ▪
• News
• ▪
• Archives

Feb. 17, 2007

Final Stats

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- -

            The University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team shot 52.1 percent (25-of-48) from the floor, including 11-of-21 (52.4 percent) from three-point range as the Panthers tied their season high with 90 points in a 90-72 win over Missouri State on Saturday in the McLeod Center.  Junior Traci Ollendieck shot 5-of-8 from three-point range on the way to a career-high 26 points to lead the Panthers. Seniors Tara King and Jessie Biggs added 18 and 16 points, respectively. Ollendieck led the Panthers with nine rebounds and three steals.

            Tahnee Balerio led MSU (6-17, 2-12) with 21 points and six assists.

            The Panthers (15-11, 9-6) connected from behind the arc five times through the first 11 minutes of play, racing out to a 22-12 lead with 9:16 on the clock.

            Biggs hit two free throws at 5:01 to give UNI a 31-19 advantage. The Lady Bears chipped away at the UNI lead, and after trailing 36-24, MSU used a 9-2 run to climb within five, 38-33 at 2:20. UNI used free throws from Nicole Clausen, Biggs and King to stretch its lead back to 10, 44-34 with 1:20 remaining.

            Eria Biel was fouled as she hit a layup, and the free throw extended the Lady Bear run to 9-0 and cut the Panther advantage to 44-43. Sarah Larsen hit a jump shot and a three on back-to-back possessions to push the Panther lead to six, 49-43 at 18:01.

            With the Panther lead at four, Kristyn Ferris hit a three to put UNI in front 54-47 with 15:23 on the clock. Balerio and King traded baskets to keep the difference at seven, but then Tiff Terwelp hit her first career three and Roxie Stiles followed it with a three on the next Lady Bear possession to pull MSU within one, 56-55 at 14:18.

            A free throw from King and jump shot from Keefe put UNI in front by four, but Breton Wyett was fouled as she hit a layup, and the free throw cut UNI's lead to one, 59-58 at 13:05. On the next Lady Bear trip, Busby was fouled on a three-point attempt, and she connected on all three free throws to give MSU its first lead of the game, 61-59 at 12:22.

            A free throw from Ollendieck cut the Lady Bear lead in half, and then King connected from behind the arc to put UNI back in front, 63-61 at 11:43.

            Less than a minute later, King left the game with an injury and would not return for the remainder of the game.

            For the next three minutes the game became a free-throw shooting contest, and the Panthers outscored MSU 7-2 from the stripe to build a 70-63 lead with 8:08 to play.

            With UNI holding the six-point lead, Ollendieck hit her fourth three of the game to put the Panthers in front, 73-64 at 7:30.

            Two minutes later, MSU trimmed the Panther lead to seven with a pair of free throws from Tag Morris, but Ollendieck connected from three-point range for the fifth time to return the Panther lead to double-digits, 78-68 with 5:20 to play.

            Terwelp hit a free throw to pull the Lady Bears within nine, but Ollendieck answered for UNI, to make the scored 79-69 with 4:28 to play. The Panther lead never dipped below double digits from that point on, and the Panthers outscored MSU 11-3 over the final 4:16 to take the win.

            The offensive outburst by the Panthers follows two straight games where the Panthers shot less than 33 percent from the floor and scored a combined 95 points.

            The Panthers shot 12-of-25 (48 percent) in the first half, and finished the game shooting 13-of-23 (56.5 percent) from the floor. UNI shot 29-of-38 (76.3 percent) from the free-throw line.

            Missouri State shot 40.4 percent (21-of-52) from the floor, including 9-of-18 (50 percent) from three-point range. The Lady Bears were 21-of-26 (80.8 percent) from the free-throw line.

            King's injury is still be evaluated, and her condition will be re-evaluated on a daily basis.

            The Panthers finish the regular season on the road, and they open the three-game road stint at Indiana State on Thursday at 6 p.m.