The UNI women’s basketball team won a bid in the NCAA tournament after a tough battle and overtime loss against Drake in the Missouri Valley championship on March 12. The Panthers’ season was not over quite yet, as they won a #10 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Tanya Warren, UNI head coach, commented on the NCAA announcement.

“[The loss against Drake] was literally the agony of defeat. We lose in overtime in the conference championship, and then [the following day] to see our name come up is really the thrill of victory,” Warren said.

Over break, the Panthers traveled to Starkville, Mississippi for the first round of the NCAA Tournament, to face #7 seed DePaul. DePaul University, located in Chicago, is part of the Big East conference.

Going into the tournament, Coach Warren said the Panthers were excited to be in Starksville to play in front of their “great fans.”

“We know what women’s basketball means here and we’re excited to be here,” Warren said.

The main challenges the Panthers faced in their tournament in regards to defense was getting back in transition, defending the three point line and getting the defensive rebound.

“We try to do the little things and do them well. Each young lady understands what her role is, and they do a very good job staying in their role in terms of what is going allow this team to flourish,” Warren said.

On March 17, the Panthers took the floor in the Humphrey Coliseum of Mississippi State University, with the opening game of the day against DePaul. The Panthers trailed for a majority of the game, their largest lead in the first quarter put the Panthers ahead by three.

“Today’s game was won on offense. DePaul shot extremely well. They shot the basketball extremely well and a lot of those were challenged,” Warren said.

Madison Weekly, a senior guard, said DePaul’s shooting game bolstered their victory.

“They came out hot,” Weekly said of DePaul. “They shot a great percentage from the field. But in every game there are things that we could’ve done differently.

In the end, when someone shoots as well as DePaul did, it takes a toll on your defense. We let our offensive struggles get into our defense as well.”

DePaul ended the game with 38 points in the paint, 13 points from turnovers, 19 points from second chance shots, six points from fast breaks and 30 points from the bench.

“When their bigs is in trouble you think that you have a chance to exploit some areas. But with what Tanita Allen did, 25 points off the bench, 5-6 from three, that’s extraordinary. […] I knew they were good offensively, but I didn’t know they were that well oiled of a machine,” Warren said.

“They are constantly moving the ball and themselves. […] It’s a difficult offense to defend, and it is just constant. They executed it well today and knocked down a lot of shots,” Weekly added.

UNI, on the other hand, had 32 points in the paint, 16 from turnovers, seven from second chance opportunities, four points from fast breaks and 17 points from the bench.

“We got good shots, we just didn’t hit them today. When you can’t make a shot it takes a toll on your defense,” said Weekly.

As far as the experience of the host, Warren had only good things to say.

“The experience has been outstanding. Everyone was welcoming, the fans got into it. […] They love women’s basketball here and that is very evident. […] They wanted to make this a first-class event, and they went above and beyond,” said Warren.

For Megan Maahs, a freshman UNI forward, the NCAA Tournament was a “great experience, getting here was such a fun journey. I have to thank the seniors for everything they have done for me and all the ways they have led me.”

Angie Davison, a senior on the team said, “We are like a family […] This is probably one of the closest teams I have ever been on and we just do a really good job of staying together no matter what is happening during each game.”

The Panthers lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to DePaul, 88-67. The Panthers end their season with an overall record of 24-9 and a conference record of 15-3.