Ryley Goebel

CEDAR FALLS — The Northern Iowa women’s basketball team dominated from start to finish in a 91-64 victory over Southern Illinois in Sunday’s Missouri Valley Conference clash inside the McLeod Center.

The Panthers got 33 points from its bench and broke free from the Salukis (3-10, 0-4) with an 11-0 run to go on top 14-4 less than four minutes into the game. UNI (8-6, 4-0) handed Southern Illinois its 13th-straight conference loss while improving to 4-0 in league play for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

Ryley Goebel led the Panthers with 18 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots for her fifth double-double of the sesaon. Kaylynn Janes scored a career-high 17 points off the bench, and Bri Robinson added 16 points to the final tally.

Reserves Mya Nicholson (8) and Lauren Walker (6) also had career-best scoring totals in the win.

“I thought we played great from start to finish,” said UNI head coach Tanya Warren. “We did a lot of good things both offensively and defensively. Our emphasis defensively was to limit second-chance points and rebound the basketball and I think we did a terrific job of that and we made some things tough for them.”

Kayla Cooper had 11 points and Jeniah Thompson 10 to lead the Salukis, who shot just 3-of-15 from 3-point range.

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Drake 74, Indiana St. 72

DES MOINES — Back-to-back baskets by Okku Federiko gave Drake the lead for good as the Bulldogs rallied to beat Indiana State 74-72 on Sunday at the Knapp Center.

Federiko’s layup with 1:08 remaining put the Bulldogs (8-7, 2-2) on top for good, but Jaehshon Thomas’s 1-of-2 free-throw effort with 10 seconds left allowed Indiana State (8-8, 1-4) a final opportunity.

The Sycamores got a 3-point attempt by Camp Wagner, and a final inbounds play led to a missed shot by Derek Vorst as the final buzzer sounded.

Jalen Quinn scored a game-high 18 points to go with five assists to lead Drake, while Thomas finished with 16 points off the bench. Federiko added 13 points and eight rebounds, Eli Shetlar got 11 points and Andrew Alia chipped in 10 points and nine boards.

The Bulldogs led by as many as eight points in the first half, but an 18-2 surge by Indiana State turned the tides. The lead changed hands seven times in the second half before the Bulldogs made their move at the end.

Ian Scott led five double-digit scorers for the Sycamores, recording 16 points. Jo Van Buggenhout (13 points) and Bruno Alocen (11) both made three of Indiana State’s 10 3-pointers.

UNI 62, Evansville 48

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Ben Schwieger scored 14 points as Northern Iowa beat Evansville 62-48 on Sunday.

Schwieger had eight rebounds and three steals for the Panthers (12-3, 4-0 Missouri Valley Conference).

AJ Casey finished with 17 points for the Purple Aces (4-12, 0-5). Connor Turnbull added 12 points and two blocks for Evansville. The loss is the seventh straight for the Purple Aces.