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**** WBB: Gamethread - Cyclones host UNI at 6:30 p.m. ESPN+ ****

ICCYFAN

ICCYFAN

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Sep 6, 2006
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Iowa City
Iowa State (6-4) vs. UNI (1-7)

Hilton Coliseum– Ames, Iowa

Wednesday, December 20, 2023 – 6:30 p.m. CT

WATCH: Big 12 Now on ESPN+

PxP: Alex Cohen & Analyst: Chelsea Poppens

LIVE STATS​

Back in October, UNI was selected by conference coaches, SID’s and media as the MVC Women’s Basketball Preseason Favorite, and they had two players selected to the Preseason All-MVC 1st Team – Juniors Grace Boffeli & Maya McDermott.

The Panthers started the season with a victory of Green Bay on November 6, then got hammered at home by Iowa 94-53 to begin a seven-game losing streak. UNI played in the same Las Vegas tournament as ISU, with two common opponents.

11/24 - Syracuse 71 - UNI 54 VERSUS 11/25 - Syracuse 81 – ISU 69

11/24 – Vanderbilt 68 – ISU 53 VERSUS 11/25 Vanderbilt 68 – UNI 64

While ISU holds a lop-sided advantage in the all-time series, the last time these two teams met, the #7 Cyclones took home a nail-biting, 88-85 victory. That matchup saw both forward Grace Boffeli and guard Maya McDermott score 20+ points with a career-high 26 points coming from Boffeli and 22 coming from McDermott.

Iowa State is ranked No. 56 in the NET rankings. This will be the fifth time this season the Panthers have faced an opponent that is currently ranked in the top 60 and the eighth time an opponent is currently in the top 100. UNI holds the second-best average opponent NET rank in the nation with an average rank of 56. The only team ranked higher than UNI is UConn with an average opponent NET rank of 55. The Panthers also boast the ninth-hardest NET, non-conference strength of schedule. As of December 17, the Panthers have the fourth-hardest strength of schedule per the Massey ratings behind UConn, South Carolina, and Maryland.
 
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While I don't think UNI will be an easy outing, I think that our ladies have improved significantly from their time in the tournament. If anyone here has watched much of UNI have they improved as well?

They seem to have trouble scoring by only breaking 70 once, putting them at #238 in the nation. I think we just need to avoid a dead quarter like we had in the early season and we win.
 
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ZorkClone said:
While I don't think UNI will be an easy outing, I think that our ladies have improved significantly from their time in the tournament. If anyone here has watched much of UNI have they improved as well?

They seem to have trouble scoring by only breaking 70 once, putting them at #238 in the nation. I think we just need to avoid a dead quarter like we had in the early season and we win.
Click to expand...
The only UNI game I've seen so far was the Iowa game. I think we should probably win. As a UNI alum, my preference is for a close ISU win.
 
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ICCYFAN said:
Iowa State (6-4) vs. UNI (1-7)

Hilton Coliseum– Ames, Iowa

Wednesday, December 20, 2023 – 6:30 p.m. CT

WATCH: Big 12 Now on ESPN+

PxP: Alex Cohen & Analyst: Chelsea Poppens

LIVE STATS​

Back in October, UNI was selected by conference coaches, SID’s and media as the MVC Women’s Basketball Preseason Favorite, and they had two players selected to the Preseason All-MVC 1st Team – Juniors Grace Boffeli & Maya McDermott.

The Panthers started the season with a victory of Green Bay on November 6, then got hammered at home by Iowa 94-53 to begin a seven-game losing streak. UNI played in the same Las Vegas tournament as ISU, with two common opponents.

11/24 - Syracuse 71 - UNI 54 VERSUS 11/25 - Syracuse 81 – ISU 69

11/24 – Vanderbilt 68 – ISU 53 VERSUS 11/25 Vanderbilt 68 – UNI 64

While ISU holds a lop-sided advantage in the all-time series, the last time these two teams met, the #7 Cyclones took home a nail-biting, 88-85 victory. That matchup saw both forward Grace Boffeli and guard Maya McDermott score 20+ points with a career-high 26 points coming from Boffeli and 22 coming from McDermott.

Iowa State is ranked No. 56 in the NET rankings. This will be the fifth time this season the Panthers have faced an opponent that is currently ranked in the top 60 and the eighth time an opponent is currently in the top 100. UNI holds the second-best average opponent NET rank in the nation with an average rank of 56. The only team ranked higher than UNI is UConn with an average opponent NET rank of 55. The Panthers also boast the ninth-hardest NET, non-conference strength of schedule. As of December 17, the Panthers have the fourth-hardest strength of schedule per the Massey ratings behind UConn, South Carolina, and Maryland.
Click to expand...

I think that UNI has had a bit of the injury bug too - McDermott missed a few games earlier in the year but has been back. Boffeli has missed the last few games and is unknown if she will play tonight.
 
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UNI's Pre-Season MVC Player of the Year, Grace Boffeli, was named to the All-Tournament Team at the South Point Shoot-Out., the same event ISU participated in. She then played 3 minutes at South Dakota on 11/29 and hasn't played since. I can't find anything about her injury other than a reference in this morning's Courier citing the Assistant Head Coach,

"The Panthers could be without Boffeli and her 13.7 points and 6.5 rebounds a game again Wednesday, with Nelson saying her status to play against the Cyclones up in the air."

Though I want ISU to prevail, that's unfortunate for the Panthers, who appear to have other injuries as well. Maya McDermott missed the recent game versus Creighton.

I like both Drake & UNI and I want them to do well because their rosters are full of native Iowans. UNI's 14-Player Roster includes 11 players from Iowa, 2 from Nebraska and 1 from Wisconsin. These kids come from winning HS programs (Cedar Falls, Marion, IC West) and probably have a "chip on the shoulder" when it comes to playing ISU & EIU.

My gut feeling is this will be a much closer contest than would be anticipated by UNI's record, and I hope ISU is ready from the opening whistle. Go State!

P.S. I'm done now - I'm burning "use it or lose it" vacation time, waiting for it to warm up enough to go outside and do yard work, listening to The Gits on Spotify. Have a great day all...
 
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ICCYFAN said:
Iowa State (6-4) vs. UNI (1-7)

Hilton Coliseum– Ames, Iowa

Wednesday, December 20, 2023 – 6:30 p.m. CT

WATCH: Big 12 Now on ESPN+

PxP: Alex Cohen & Analyst: Chelsea Poppens

LIVE STATS​

Back in October, UNI was selected by conference coaches, SID’s and media as the MVC Women’s Basketball Preseason Favorite, and they had two players selected to the Preseason All-MVC 1st Team – Juniors Grace Boffeli & Maya McDermott.

The Panthers started the season with a victory of Green Bay on November 6, then got hammered at home by Iowa 94-53 to begin a seven-game losing streak. UNI played in the same Las Vegas tournament as ISU, with two common opponents.

11/24 - Syracuse 71 - UNI 54 VERSUS 11/25 - Syracuse 81 – ISU 69

11/24 – Vanderbilt 68 – ISU 53 VERSUS 11/25 Vanderbilt 68 – UNI 64

While ISU holds a lop-sided advantage in the all-time series, the last time these two teams met, the #7 Cyclones took home a nail-biting, 88-85 victory. That matchup saw both forward Grace Boffeli and guard Maya McDermott score 20+ points with a career-high 26 points coming from Boffeli and 22 coming from McDermott.

Iowa State is ranked No. 56 in the NET rankings. This will be the fifth time this season the Panthers have faced an opponent that is currently ranked in the top 60 and the eighth time an opponent is currently in the top 100. UNI holds the second-best average opponent NET rank in the nation with an average rank of 56. The only team ranked higher than UNI is UConn with an average opponent NET rank of 55. The Panthers also boast the ninth-hardest NET, non-conference strength of schedule. As of December 17, the Panthers have the fourth-hardest strength of schedule per the Massey ratings behind UConn, South Carolina, and Maryland.
Click to expand...

So in other words this should be a good hard fought game tonight. Hope our gals come away with the W.
 
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410845268_18437416141013520_957171265399133519_n.jpg
 
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I would be surprised if this ended up close.

UNI is always tough and I really like their program, but with injuries and other things stacked against them- this is not their year.
 
I won’t count UNI out. I didn’t expect our game with Iowa to be close. In state games are always hard. On paper we were favored in the past but UNI always made it close.
 
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