WNIT Game 1: Gophers v Northern Iowa (3-22-19)

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Ignatius L Hoops

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PANTHER MEMORIES

Northern Iowa (20-12 (12-6 Missouri Valley)) is a team that seems far more familiar to me than they should. Most years I at least catch a broadcast or two of the Panthers in the Missouri Valley Tourney. I didn’t this season. Nevertheless, part of that seeming familiarity is because Tanya Warren is in her 12th season guiding UNI. It’s been a fairly successful run with MVC regular season titles in 2111 and 2116 and MVC tourney titles in 2010 and 2011. She made the NCAA tourney in 2010, 2111 and 2017 (as an at large team). And recently, the Panthers have been regulars in the WNIT 2015, 2015 and 2018.

Many of us, of course, remember Nothern Iowa from the WBI championship game at Williams in 2012 even as we try to forget the WBI. Minnesota is 10-0 versus NIU with the latest victory coming in Cedar Falls during November 2013, 73-55. By far the most interesting game in the series was in 2002. The 11th ranked Gophers traveled to Cedar Falls and escaped with a 69-62 victory. Whalen hit a jumper giving Minnesota a 29-27 halftime lead. Still, the game was tied at 40 before a Whalen layup put the Gophers ahead for good. Whalen led the scoring with 27. It was a physical game with McCarville fouling out in 18 minutes of play after scoring 2 points and grabbing 7 boards. Kim Prince had 12 points in 31 minutes.

Anyway, this year’s Panthers finished third in the MVC behind NCAA bound Drake (17-1) and Missouri State (16-2). I’ll add things as the week goes on; but for now, as expected, two items stand out. Warren uses her bench and the team loves to shoot threes. Their bench is a little shorter because in early February one of their best players, Ellie Howell, left a game with a knee injury and has not returned. The Panthers still have 9 players averaging over 12 minutes per game.

UNI averages 7.9 threes per game (Minnesota 4.7). UNI is 243-775 (3.14) from behind the arc while Minnesota is 141-435 (.324). The two most prolific Panthers are Karlie Rucker 30-69 (.435) and Taylor Hagen 27-69 (.391).


Common Opponent: Iowa. UNI led 22-18 in Iowa City before a 17-2 Hawkeye run put an end to any thoughts of an Northern Iowa upset as Iowa pulled away for an 83-57 win. The Panthers were 8-27 from three.


Other Opponents of Note:

Kansas State defeated UNI in Manhattan 62-72. It was 32-29 KSU at the half. Leading scorers for UNI were Rucker and Howell with 15 each. The Panthers were 6-22 from three. Freshman Christanna Carr was KSU’s third leading scorer with 11 points (3-7 from three).

UNI lost to Drake at home 64-88 and on the road 61-76. UNI lost to Missouri State at home 58-63, on the road 48-58 and in the MVC tourney 64-89.



Starters (Conference Stats):

5’6” G So. Karli Rucker (13.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists in 33.2 minutes/game)
6’1” F Fr Taylor Hagen (8.4 points, 4.2 rebounds in 22.6 minutes)
6’1” F So Bre Gunnels (4.4 points, 3.8 minutes in 16.3 minutes)
5’9” G So Nicole Kroeger (6.0 points, 1.9 rebounds in 22.6 minutes)
5’10” G Sr Mikaela Morgan (10.6 points, 3.6 rebounds in 29.1 minutes)


Others:

5’10” G Jr Abby Gerrits (5.9 points, 2.3 rebounds in 19.2 minutes)
6’3” C Fr Cynthia Wolf (8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds in 12.9 minutes)
6’-0” F Jr Heidi Hillyard (4.3 points, 4.8 rebounds in 20.8 minutes)
 

So do we play only to win (Iron 5) or see opportunities for bench? Is it possible to win this game playing more of the bench who aren't seniors? It appears that UNI will play up to 9 players.
 

For me, winning is the priority. Playing the seniors more (since it’s their last hurrah) is secondary. So I don’t seem to be on the same page as EaganGopher22. If it’s a blowout, then sure, give anybody you want minutes. I’m not sure we should be expecting too many blowouts since all these teams are in the same non-NCAA Tournament boat Minnesota is in.
 

https://unipanthers.com/news/2019/3...avel-to-minnesota-for-wnit-opening-round.aspx

The Panthers previously made WNIT appearances in 2018, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2006, 2003 and 2001. UNI has a 3-7 record all-time in the tournament.

UNI finished the Missouri Valley Championship with a 20-12 record and fell in the semifinals to eventual champion Missouri State.
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The Panthers and Gophers have met 10 times an UNI has a 0-5 record in Minneapolis. The last meeting was a 73-55 Minnesota win in 2014 in Cedar Falls.
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Shades said:
For me, winning is the priority. Playing the seniors more (since it’s their last hurrah) is secondary. So I don’t seem to be on the same page as EaganGopher22. If it’s a blowout, then sure, give anybody you want minutes. I’m not sure we should be expecting too many blowouts since all these teams are in the same non-NCAA Tournament boat Minnesota is in.
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I would prefer to see winning as a priority as well. Is that the right thing for this program at this time. Given the strength of the bench and perhaps the fact that few of them will figure into next year's rotation, winning probably should be the priority.

My question was more of a theoretical "how do we think Whalen and coaches would view it?"
 


I'm thinking that the coaches will emphasize winning the game as compared to getting some additional game experience for the bench players. As EaganGopher mentioned, the idea that not many of this year's bench players will fit into next year's rotation should make it an easy decision for the coaching staff. That being said, I expect that a now healthy Staples should get some minutes off the bench in each of the games.
 

It's always about winning and putting the best players on the court.
 

https://wcfcourier.com/sports/colle...cle_cd6f7495-db23-5440-800c-ba15a2b23820.html

A pre-MVC tourney article on UNI's Taylor and her move to the starting lineup following injuries. Plus a description of the various injuries impacting the Panthers.
Taylor Hagen has spent the majority of her basketball career at the University of Northern Iowa backing up two of the program’s all-time greats.

If she had it her way, Hagen’s name wouldn’t be introduced with the starters prior to Friday’s 8:30 p.m. Missouri Valley Conference tournament quarterfinal against Southern Illinois.

It’s not that UNI’s senior center isn’t making the most of her role in the starting lineup. Instead, she’d much rather be giving a high five to junior returning all-conference teammate Megan Maahs during the pregame introductions.

Maahs’ ACL injury eight games into this season allowed Hagen to become a regular starter for the first time in her career.

...

Fifth-year senior guard Ellie Howell – another former all-conference selection – missed nearly the entire of the back half of MVC play with an injury that will keep her out of this weekend’s tournament. Rose Simon-Ressler is another veteran who has missed half the season, while promising freshmen Kam Finley and Alyssa Iverson were also impacted by injuries.

“As crazy as it has been, this is probably one of my proudest teams to coach,” said Tanya Warren, who has coached UNI into three NCAA Tournaments the previous 11 seasons.

...

UNI’s newfound starting center has scored at least 10 points five times in the last six games, knocking down an accurate mid-range jumper while mixing in post moves and a hook shot she developed through workouts with Maahs.

“Her ability to be efficient through the years offensively has really helped,” Warren said of Hagen, a 52.3 percent shooter from the field who is also averaging six rebounds over the past six games. “She expanded her ability to post and score with her back to the basket, and has taken a lot of pride in shooting the 12-to-15 footer with consistency. Because of that, she was ready to step in and do whatever she needed to do when Megan got hurt.”
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A couple of notes from UNI's pregame notes.

UNI is in the top-10 in the NCAA for free throw percentage. The Panthers are shooting 77.5 percent from the line to rank eighth in the NCAA and first in the MVC. Karli Rucker leads the way for UNI at 82-98 (.837). Six UNI players shoot 80 percent or better.

UNI is in the top 100 in the nation for three-point attempts, three-pointers made and three-pointers per game. The Panthers have shot 775 threes, hitting on 243 accounting for 729 of UNI’s 2,125 points so far this season. UNI now has a 350-game three-pointer streak that started December 6, 2008 against Green Bay (6-of-19). The last Panther contest without a three-pointer occurred December 3, 2008 versus Northern Illinois (0-of-14).

If I counted correctly: Road game record is 7-7 and neutral court is 2-2. Essentially, this is a road game for them. Barring some kind of funk on the Gophers part, this should be one we should win.
 

What's the over/under on crowd size? 1500?
 

Cincinnati beat Youngstown State last night - so the Bearcats will be our next opponent. I would expect with a win tonight, we'll learn where and when that game will be post game.
 

Sparlimb said:
What's the over/under on crowd size? 1500?
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I would expect a crowd at least twice that size. UNI will likely have fans travel for the game. One UNI player is a SR and from Blooming Prairie. U of M fans should show up unless they are all heading to Des Moines.
 



EaganGopher22 said:
I would expect a crowd at least twice that size. UNI will likely have fans travel for the game. One UNI player is a SR and from Blooming Prairie. U of M fans should show up unless they are all heading to Des Moines.
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...(or already had plans when this was announced, just four days in advance. That, unfortunately, is me. And I also have plans Sunday night, so I'm really hoping the Sunday game: a. happens and b. is in the afternoon.)
 

Minnesota up 30-11 after 1, Not watching but Brunson didnt start and hasnt played. Staples 9 pts (3-3 on 3s) 2 assists and 2 steals in the quarter in her 1st career start.
 

Brunson broke nose at big ten tourney. Likely still suffering effects from that.
 

52-28 at half, staples 12 pts 5 assists 3 rebs and 2 stls 4-5 from 3, pitts has 16 6-7 overall 4-5 from 3, Bell with 11 pts 8 assists 3 rebs and 2 stls.
 

Great half and we are hot from 3 just like the men yesterday. We should roll over UNI.
 

At the half, we are coincidentally shooting 64.3% both from two and from three, for 64.3% overall (natch).
 

Gopher twitter page says we go to Cincinnati for a 2 PM central time game on Sunday!!??!!
 

fanfromthevalley said:
Gopher twitter page says we go to Cincinnati for a 2 PM central time game on Sunday!!??!!
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Does that mean Cincinnati had better attendance, or is their arena schedule more wide open? Can the home court ever return to Minnesota?
 

Bummer. Just got the email from the U confirming the game is on Sunday in Cincy. We will need to have Brunson back to have a good chance at winning. It was clear we needed her during the second half on defense.

So when we were up by about 25, Whalen put it the rest of her bench except Byrne (who never saw a minute). Was Byrne a Stallings recruit? If she couldn't get in this game, will she ever be in the plans for Whalen? Or might she disappear this summer?

Staples gave us a great shot in the arm to start the first half. Some of her passes show poor judgement (but then so do many of Bell's).
 

Not a clue how it works!! If it is just attendance, which is what I used to think....., Cincinnati had 1951 at their Thursday game. We had 2549 tonight.
 

When Northern Iowa pressed high we really struggled. We couldn't find anyone along the base line. I think the first time they pressed was in the second quarter when Lindsay took Destiny and Kenisha out at the same time. Our lineup was Perez, Staples, T Bello, K Bello and Kaposi. That was an adventure.

Yes, Byrne was a Stollings recruit.
 

Shades said:
Does that mean Cincinnati had better attendance, or is their arena schedule more wide open? Can the home court ever return to Minnesota?
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https://www.womensnit.com/news/2019...-for-2018-postseason-wnit.aspx?path=post_wnit

The WNIT understands many schools interested in hosting cannot hold their facilities for the entirety of the tournament, but if teams choose to hold one or two dates open in each round, along with the championship date, that helps those schools to be considered as host sites. Please note: A school’s ability and/or desire to host games in the Postseason WNIT has absolutely no bearing on being selected for the tournament.
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They said on the radio broadcast that the Gophers only have 8 players available. Maybe Byrne has some injury that hasn’t been revealed?
 

Waffle said:
They said on the radio broadcast that the Gophers only have 8 players available. Maybe Byrne has some injury that hasn’t been revealed?
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Byrne was in uniform and participated in warm ups. Tomancova, Brunson and Hubbard were in sweats and did not participate. There was nothing noticeably wrong with Brunson; but then I wasn't looking for a broken nose.
 


I wonder how the attendance for the Gopher's Women's NIT compares to other NIT games so far. It would not be surprising to see lower attendance overall. The NIT is being overshadowed by the NCAAs.

So, if the Gophers keep winning will the NIT give them more home games? I would think the Gophers home court draw will be much greater than their first round game.
 


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