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UNI reaches 3rd-straight MVC Tourney title game

MOLINE, Ill. — The Northern Iowa women’s basketball team raced past Missouri State to earn a 70-58 victory on Saturday in the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

With the win, the Panthers advance to their third-straight championship game where they will meet up with top-seeded Drake, marking the second-straight year the Bulldogs and Panthers will decide the tourney crown.

UNI (19-12) trailed Missouri State (20-11) with 2 minutes remaining in the third quarter, but the Panthers dug themsevles out of a six-point hole after junior Ellie Howell sank back-to-back threes to retake momentum for her squad.

Howelll led the Panthers with 20 points with 18 coming in the second half. Mikaela Morgan scored 15 points for UNI, 13 of those in the first half, and freshman Karli Rucker added 10 off the bench.

UNI made 8-of-19 shots from behind the 3-point line while holding the Bears to just two makes from downtown. The Panther bench also outscored MSU’s 24-6.

Morgan got the offense going early for Northern Iowa, dropping in 10 points in the opening quarter. Despite the strong start, the Bears kept fighting back, going on a 10-3 run during the second quarter to pull wihtin one point then nailing one of its two threes at the end of the half to keep it a one-point game, with UNI leading 32-31.

Missouri State was led by Danielle Gitzen with 18 points, followed by Liza Fruendt and Aubrey Buckley with 11 and 10 respectively.

The Panthers outrebounded the Bears 40-34 and led in assists 13-6. MSU did win inside the paint by a 38-22 margin, however.

UNI will challenge Drake on Sunday for the MVC Tournament Championship, looking to avenge last year’s 74-69 overtime loss. Drake is currently riding a 20-game win streak in MVC play.

The Panthers and Bulldogs will meet in the title game starting at 2 p.m. today at the Taxslayer Center.

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