Despite a good start, it was more of the same for the SIU women’s basketball team in their Feb. 22 matchup with the University of Northern Iowa Panthers. 

Through the opening minutes of the game, the Dawgs played the Panthers tightly, with the score tied at 8-8 through the first five minutes. Gift Uchenna was a big factor in the quarter, putting up 5 points and 5 rebounds. She finished the game with 11 points and 19 rebounds. 

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UNI woke up from their slow start, though. They finished the quarter on an 11-5 run, and kept rolling through the second quarter behind a balanced scoring attack that yielded them 20 points in the frame and a 39-24 halftime lead. 

Kayla Cooper, who led the Salukis with 14 points in the game, and Tyranny Brown, who finished with 12, were the only SIU players to score in a second quarter in which the Dawgs scored 11 points. 

The third quarter got even uglier for SIU. They scored 10 points, with Uchenna and Isabella Palmqvist being the main contributors with four each. Palmqvist finished with 9 points, with 7 of them coming at the free throw line. As a team, SIU shot 13-15 from the charity stripe.

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UNI was the complete opposite of the Salukis and came out of the break on fire. The Panthers poured in 25 points on 62.5% shooting from the field, including a perfect 4-4 from 3-point range.

The Panthers kept their foot on the gas, putting up another 23 points in the fourth on an efficient 50% from the field. Through the game, UNI’s defense harassed the Salukis into 19 turnovers, including 12 steals.

SIU’s offense finally got going in the fourth, with it being their most productive offensive quarter in the last two games with 17 points scored.  Cooper put up 8 points, and Uchenna grabbed 6 rebounds to help limit the Panthers from stretching their lead much more.

The loss, the fifth in a row and ninth in their last 10 games, dropped the Salukis to 4-21 and 2-14 in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Dawgs will continue their road swing when they play at Belmont on Feb. 27 at 6:30 p.m.

Sports reporter Ryan Grieser can be reached at rgrieser@dailyegyptian.com. To stay up to date on all your southern Illinois news, be sure to follow The Daily Egyptian on Facebook.

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