PHOTO BY JASON RUBIN/UNI ATHLETICS - Northern Iowa guard Karli Rucker, right, has her shot blocked by Missouri State defender Abigayle Jackson (0) during the first half of Friday’s Missouri Valley Conference game at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls.

CEDAR FALLS — The Missouri State women’s basketball team made a statement in its Missouri Valley Conference opener — at Northern Iowa’s expense.

The Lady Bears kicked off conference play with a 70-51 victory over the host Panthers, holding UNI’s offense 19.5 points shy of its season scoring average on Friday night at the McLeod Center.

Northern Iowa’s offense went a woeful 5-for-27 from 3-point range, shooting just 18.5 percent. The Panthers also committed 21 turnovers against the previously ranked Lady Bears (5-2, 1-0).

Missouri State, which started its MVC slate behind schedule because of COVID-19 protocols, came ready to play. The Lady Bears outscored Northern Iowa 20-7 in the first quarter, fought off the Panthers’ comeback attempts and finished them off in the fourth.

Brice Calip had a game-high 20 points for the Lady Bears. Mya Bhinar scored 12 points off the bench, and Jasmine Franklin finished with a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Missouri State scored 23 points off UNI’s 21 turnovers, too.

Karli Rucker finished with a team-leading 11 points. Cynthia Wolf was next with seven points off the bench.

The two teams pair up again today at the McLeod Center at 4 p.m.

Missouri St. 70, UNI 51

At Cedar Falls

MISSOURI ST. (5-2, 1-0) — Hipp 3-10 1-1 7, Franklin 4-9 2-2 10, Ruffridge 3-5 0-0 8, Calip 7-15 5-6 20, Wilson 1-5 0-0 2, Bhinar 4-8 1-2 12, Gartner 3-7 0-1 6, Jackson 1-8 0-0 2, Rocca 1-3 0-0 3, Winslow 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS 27-70 9-12 70.

N. IOWA (6-6, 3-2) — Gunnels 2-6 1-2 5, Maahs 2-8 0-0 5, Rucker 3-9 4-4 11, Green 2-5 2-3 6, Kroeger 0-1 0-0 0, Finley 1-3 0-0 3, McCullough 0-3 0-0 0, Wolf 3-7 0-0 7, Morgan 1-6 2-2 4, McDermott 0-5 1-2 1, Gyamfi 0-2 2-2 2, Laube 2-4 0-0 5, Boffeli 1-1 0-0 2, Barney 0-1 0-0 0. TOTALS 17-61 12-15 51.

MISSOURI ST. 20 16 19 15 — 70

N. IOWA 7 17 21 6 — 51

3-Point Goals–Missouri St. 7-14 (Bhinar 3-4, Ruffridge 2-3, Calip 1-1, Rocca 1-2, Hipp 0-1, Jackson 0-1, Wilson 0-2), UNI 5-27 (Rucker 1-1, Finley 1-3, Wolf 1-3, Laube 1-3, Maahs 1-5, Gunnels 0-1, Kroeger 0-1, McCullough 0-1, Gyamfi 0-1, Barney 0-1, Green 0-2, McDermott 0-3). Rebounds–Missouri St. 44 (Franklin 13), UNI 45 (Gunnels 7). Assists–Missouri St. 19 (Calip 6), UNI 11 (Rucker 5). Total Fouls–Missouri St. 17, UNI 16. Fouled Out–none. A–462.