48 combined fouls highlight UNI’s 92-54 victory over Valparaiso.

UNI Athletic Communications

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — UNI women’s basketball hosted the Valparaiso Beacons inside the McLeod Center on February 26. It was difficult for either team to establish a pace and rhythm in the matchup, with 48 combined fouls hindering the offensive flow UNI was able to capitalize and, with the help of four double-figure performances, came out ahead of the Beacons, 92-54.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Beacons were the first on the board with back-to-back buckets to take a quick 4-0 lead inside the McLeod Center. A 14-4 run from the Panthers gave UNI a double-figure lead with just under two minutes remaining after three-straight buckets from the Cats in the paint. The Panthers closed the first quarter on an 8-2 run, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Kaylynn Janes to take a 22-10 advantage after 10 minutes on the floor.

A 7-2 run, including a bucket from beyond the arc, from Valparaiso cut into the UNI lead before the second-quarter media timeout. The Panthers finished the first half on a 9-4 run, which saw four points from Jenna Twedt, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer to close the frame.

At the halftime break, the Panthers showed a balanced scoring attack with Kaylynn Janes leading the way with nine points. Ryley Goebel and Jenna Twedt each scored six points in the opening 20 minutes, while Elise Jaeger posted five and Lauren Walker had four. Both Twedt and Jaeger pulled down five boards in the first half.

The Cats lit up the second half from the floor and put up 59 points in the second half, their highest-scoring second half of the season. The third quarter saw a late 15-5 run to put the Beacons in a 17-point hole with 4:32 remaining in the third quarter. Abby Tuttle made a dominant impact off the bench with seven straight points for the Panthers, including her ninth three-pointer of the season.

The Panthers entered the fourth quarter with an 18-point lead before nine and 12-point runs in the quarter put the game well out of reach of Valparaiso. Virginia Edmondson knocked down a pair of three-pointers, while Elise Jaeger, Jenna Twedt, and Maren Schmotzer each tallied five points in the frame to hand Valparaiso its 28th consecutive loss on the season, 92-54.

Elise Jaeger, in her first game back from injury, led the Panthers’ offense with 16 points. She added 12 boards and shot 9-for-12 from the free-throw line. Three other Panthers scored in double figures, including Jenna Twedt (14), Abby Tuttle (13), and Ryley Goebel (12). Twedt finished with seven boards, while Lauren Walker brought in five and two steals.

I thought we did a good job of getting ourselves in an offensive rhythm in the second half, said head coach Tanya Warren. The ball moved side-to-side, and we got downhill. We talk a lot about getting a piece of the paint, whether that’s with post touches or getting downhill, and I thought that we did both of those.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• UNI improved to 14-13 on the season, including 10-7 in MVC play. UNI clinched its MVC-record 18th consecutive season at .500 or better in conference play.
• The Panthers continued an active program-record 573-game three-pointer streak with 13 triples against the Beacons.
• UNI is now 12-1 when three or more Panthers score in double-figures (Jaeger 16, Twedt 14, Tuttle 13, Goebel 12).
• Elise Jaeger finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season.
• Abby Tuttle finished with a career-high four free throws.
• Virginia Edmondson recorded her first multi-three-pointer contest with two triples.
• Elise Jaeger scored a career-high 16 points against Valparaiso on a career-high nine free throws.
• Maren Schmotzer finished with a career-high five points and three free throws.
• Lauren Walker brought in a career-high five rebounds.

Up Next

The Panthers are set to retire UNI women;s basketball alumni Jacqui Kalin’s jersey on Saturday, February 28, before their matchup with the UIC Flames. Fans are encouraged to get to their seats early for the recognition. Kalin will be available for autographs on the McLeod Concourse at halftime. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network.