CEDAR FALLS – The UNI women’s basketball team opens 2024 with their second conference matchup and first home contest in just under a month. The Panthers will face off with the Purple Aces of the University of Evansville in both teams’ second conference matchup. These two teams have met on 62 other occasions with the last coming in a 73-66 victory for UNI. Northern Iowa is currently on an 18-game win streak against Evansville, its longest active streak against any opponent. The Panthers have also won 29 of the last 30 meetings.
UNI is coming off a nail-biting matchup at Missouri State to open conference play. The Panthers led for most of the game before falling behind with just over two minutes left. UNI evened the score at 52 with four seconds remaining in the game. Three-time MVC Newcomer of the Week Lacy Stokes put the nail in the coffin for the Lady Bears with a game-winning buzzer-beater. Guard Maya McDermott led the Panther offense with 19 points and guard Emerson Green recorded a new career high with 10 rebounds in the matchup. Freshman Katy Reyerson netted the first three-pointer of her career at Missouri State in her last game.
The Panthers currently sit ranked No. 1 in the MVC with the fewest turnovers per game at 12.7. Guard Maya McDermott leads the conference with a free throw percentage of 92.3%. She has netted 24-of-26 free throws this season and is 8-for-8 from the line inside the McLeod Center.
Evansville is coming off a 66-49 loss against Indiana State to open the conference slate. In that matchup, sophomore guard Kynidi Mason Striverson led the Purple Aces offense with 16 points. The only other Evansville player to score in double digits was freshman forward Maggie Hartwig with 12 points. Hartwig is currently ranked fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) with 7.9 rebounds per game. Mason Striverson leads the season scoring with 15.8 points per game in her 12 starts.
The Purple Aces have been the top team at getting to the free throw line in the MVC this season, but have struggled to convert on those opportunities to the stripe. They currently rank first in the Valley in both free throws attempted per game (25.5) and free throws made per game (18.58), but rank fifth in the conference shooting 72.9% from the line.
