CEDAR FALLS – Fans will get their first look at the UNI women’s basketball team on Monday in an exhibition matchup against the Eagles of UW-La Crosse. The Panthers are coming off a 23-10 season which saw 16 conference wins and a third-place finish in the regular season.
UNI (0-0 / 0-0 MVC) vs. UW-La Crosse (0-0 / 0-0 WIAC) Exhibition
6 p.m. CT | Oct. 30, 2023
Cedar Falls, Iowa | McLeod Center (6,500)
The Panthers and the Eagles have not met on the court since 1982, a game that saw the Panthers fall by a score of 70-58. Before that final matchup, the Eagles claimed victories in each of the other seven meetings.
This season, the Panthers were named the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) preseason favorites in the preseason poll. They return three of their starters from a season ago and seven others while bringing in three newcomers. Of the starters returning, guard Maya McDermott and forward Grace Boffeli were named to the MVC Preseason First team with Boffeli being awarded Preseason Player of the Year honors.
Last season, guard Maya McDermott and forwards Ryley Goebel and Grace Boffeli were awarded all-conference honors. Boffeli was named to the All-MVC First Team as well as the MCV All-Tournament team, the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team, and the All-MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team. McDermott was named the MVC Most Improved Player as well as to the All-MVC Second Team and CSC Academic All-District Team. Finally, Goebel earned MVC All-Freshman Team honors.
The Panthers were led last season by Grace Boffeli in scoring (531), rebounds (303) and field goal percentage (55.3%). Maya McDermott led the way for UNI in three-pointers made (60) and assists (116), while Ryley Goebel led Northern Iowa in blocks (41) and steals (43) coming off the bench.
After Monday’s exhibition, the regular season will kick off on November 8 as the Panthers host the Phoenix of UW-Green Bay with the conference season getting underway at Missouri State on December 30.
The matchup will not be live-streamed or have a radio broadcast, but entry to the McLeod Center will be free.
