Belmont snaps UNI’s winning streak in women’s basketball

CEDAR FALLS — Northern Iowa women’s basketball had its four-game winning streak snapped by Belmont Sunday afternoon at McLeod Center, falling to the Bruins, 72-67.

Trailing 65-62 with two minutes to play, Belmont’s Jailyn Banks’ three-point play proved to be a game-winner. The freshman guard banked in a contested layup over UNI’s Shateah Wetering, drew a foul and made the free throw to put the Bruins (13-5, 6-1) ahead 68-62.

“We couldn’t come up with a big rebound when we needed to. We weren’t very disciplined defensively on their shooters and they made us pay,” UNI Coach Tanya Warren said. “I thought we got good shots offensively, they just didn’t fall. But, our inability to get stops when we needed (to), really hurt us.”

Missouri Valley Conference preseason player of the year Grace Boffeli — playing in her third game since missing six weeks with a shoulder injury — nearly provided the Panthers (5-10, 4-2) a fourth-quarter comeback.

The junior forward scored 11 of the Panthers’ 22 points over the game’s final 12 minutes, including a 3-pointer with 4:59 remaining to trim Belmont’s lead to one possession.

Boffeli’s comeback effort got what looked to be just the help it needed when Emerson Green stole the ball from Banks and passed to Kayba Laube for a 3 to bring the Panthers within two with 21 seconds remaining. After a timeout, though, Ryley Goebel fouled Kilyn McGuff and the junior guard sealed the game by making both free throws.

Boffeli led UNI with 15 points and added 10 rebounds for her second double-double since returning from injury. McDermott finished with 14 and Green also finished in double figures with 12.

With 3:55 remaining in the second quarter McDermott hit a floater from 8 feet that made her the 27th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points.

“It’s really cool. I wouldn’t be able to (reach) that goal without my teammates and my coaches,” McDermott said. “Big accomplishment, but I think this season we’re focused on winning the conference championship, so I don’t like when that focus is on me. I appreciate it, but I just really wanted to win today.”

Warren made a point postgame to describe the confidence she has in her team despite Sunday’s loss snapping their winning streak.

On Friday night, UNI defeated Murray State, 95-75, which was the Racers’ first MVC loss.

“We’re a good team and we’re playing good basketball,” Warren said. “We were just a possession away from it being swung the other way. We’ve been through way too much for our confidence to waver this late in the season.”

UNI returns to action Thursday at Illinois State (11-6, 4-3). Tipoff at Redbird Arena is at 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+).