A heartbreaking loss would perhaps be the best way to sum up the UNI women’s basketball team’s loss to Creighton University last Sunday in Omaha, Neb.

After winning their first five games, including statement victories against the University of Missouri and the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Panther women dropped two straight over Thanksgiving break in Las Vegas.

Looking to get back into the win column, they battled down to the wire against Creigton, ultimately falling by the score of 57-54. Sophomore guard Kam Finley led the Panthers in scoring with 16 points off the bench and went 3-4 from three. She was the only Panther in double figures on the night, followed by guard Karli Rucker and center Megan Maahs with eight points each.

Creighton outscored UNI by three points in the first quarter and by one point in the second to take a 32-28 lead heading into halftime. The third quarter saw the Purple and Gold outscore the Blue Jays 18-7, taking a 46-39 lead into the final frame. However, the home advantage helped Creighton bounce back and hold UNI to just eight points in the fourth.  The Blue Jays ended the game on a 12-0 run, leading to a hard-fought 57-54 victory. The win moved the Blue Jays to 7-2 on the year and dropped the Panthers to 5-3, losing their third straight game after a 5-0 start.

The Panther women bounced back in a big way on Tuesday night against another Omaha opponent—the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Four Panthers scored in double figures on the night, led by Rucker’s 19 points. UNI also shot 51 percent from the field, and held UNO to only 29 percent shooting and just 41 points overall en route to an 81-45 domination.

The Panthers will return home on Sunday, Dec. 15 against IUPUI before playing their next four games on the road with Missouri Valley Conference play starting Jan. 3 at Drake University.