OMAHA, Nebraska – In a game where neither team had more than a 10-point lead, the Panthers weren’t able to stop the Creighton Bluejays second-half offense falling 72-79.
It was a tale of two halves for the Panthers against the Bluejays in their 60th meeting. Despite having 50% shooting in the first half, UNI fell behind Creighton at the beginning of the 4th quarter and couldn’t make up the difference.
“I thought we did a terrific job of managing the game for all but about 8 minutes,” said Head Coach Tanya Warren. “They (Creighton) made some plays down the stretch and you have to give them credit for fighting back in the fourth quarter. Overall I really liked some of the things we did on the floor and this game will make us better.”
The Panthers started the game with a 3-pointer from guard Kam Finley after forward Bre Gunnels won the tipoff jumpball. The two teams traded 3’s before UNI went on a 5-point scoring run. It would be more back and forth play between the teams until the end of the 1st when the Bluejays made a last-second layup to take the lead 17-14 into the break.
The Panthers had their best offensive spurt in the 2nd quarter shooting 9-16 (56.3%) from the floor, 1-2 (50%) from 3-point range, and 7-8 (87.5%) from the free throw line. Creighton would start the quarter with a 3-point run to keep the lead until 6:32. UNI would then go on a 7-point run in 2 minutes to jump out to a 34-27 lead. For the last 2 minutes of the half, it would be a back and forth game, but the Panthers would take a 40-33 lead into halftime.
UNI jumped out to their largest lead of the day at the beginning of the 3rd quarter as Gunnels made a 3-point jump shot to give the Panthers a 10 point lead. UNI would hold onto the double-digit lead until the 6th minute as the Bluejays would find some points in the paint. Creighton would go on a 5-point run with just under 4 minutes to go to get the Panthers lead within 3 points. Guard Karli Rucker got the final points of the quarter for UNI with a driving layup. The Bluejays would tie the game up on a last-second layup at 54.
In the fourth quarter, Creighton would get the first basket to take the lead and wouldn’t lose it the rest of the game. The Panthers would tie the game up again after a minute and the Bluejays responded with a 4 point run to grab the lead back. UNI would keep it close, getting within 3 points in the final minute of the game but wouldn’t be able to find another shot to tie again.
As a team, the Panthers shot 24-60 (40%) from the floor, 8-19 (42.1%) from behind the arc, and 16-18 (88.9%) from the free throw line. UNI had 22 points in the paint, and 13 points off of turnovers. Rucker and Gunnels led the way individually for the Panthers with Rucker scoring 20 points and 4 rebounds while Gunnels had 19 points and 7 rebounds. Both seniors also had 5 assists each. Finley and Wolf would also have double digits games with 10 points apiece.
UP NEXT:
UNI continues its road swing with a stop in St. Paul to take on the St. Thomas Tommies Wednesday, December 1st. It will be the two team’s first meeting as the Tommies joined the Summit League this season. Tipoff on Wednesday is set for 7 p.m.
