Northern Iowa women's basketball holds off Missouri State in MVC Tournament semis

MOLINE, Ill. — After surviving a grueling battle that saw both squads unleash big fourth-quarter runs, the Northern Iowa women's basketball team is now one win from the NCAA Tournament.

The No. 3 seed Panthers held off second-seeded Missouri State for a 63-57 win in the MVC Tournament semifinals at TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Illinois. With the win, UNI will face No. 4 seed Illinois State in Sunday's 1 p.m. final on ESPNU.

"Just the fact we get a chance to play in a championship game on Sunday, and then with all our fans, it's going to be amazing," senior Karli Rucker said.

It was only fitting this seesawing affair came down to the final period. UNI kicked off the fourth quarter with a 14-0 run to grab a 10-point lead with six minutes remaining, only to watch Missouri State surge back with its own 10-0 surge. Deadlocked with two minutes left, the Panthers delivered reliable free-throw shooting and a strong defensive effort to close things out.

UNI didn't have a field goal over the final 5:59, but Kam Finley, Grace Boffeli and Bre Gunnels combined to hit eight free throws over the final 99 seconds to hold on. The Panthers' defense, meanwhile, locked Missouri State down in winning time, limiting the Bears to just two points after they pulled even in the fourth.

"We talk a lot about it being a game of runs and managing runs," UNI coach Tanya Warren said. "Our opponents are going to go on theirs. How quickly can we stop theirs and go on our own?

"I thought Karli did a terrific job all game long start to finish of managing the game. It starts with her and everyone kind of rode her coattails. She did a terrific job, and everybody else followed."

Playing just down the road from her North Scott alma mater, Rucker led UNI with 18 points on 9-for-16 shooting. The Panthers also picked up double-digit scoring from fellow Lancer graduate Boffeli (14 points), Finley (13 points) and Gunnels (13 points).

"All three times we've played Missouri State, it's been a battle and very physical," Boffeli said. "So I thought we were really ready for this game today."

The Panthers now turn their attention to Illinois State, a team they swept in the regular season. UNI picked up a 74-67 road win back on Jan. 27, then toppled the Redbirds in Cedar Falls on Feb. 27 as part of the Panthers' late surge.

In a year where regular-season champion Southern Illinois and at-large candidate Missouri State dominated the Valley's bracketology representation for much of the year, it's the Panthers that will get a shot at their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2017.

"That would be even more amazing," Rucker said.

Dargan Southard covers Iowa and UNI athletics, recruiting and preps for the Des Moines Register, HawkCentral.com and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Northern Iowa women's basketball tops Missouri State in MVC Tournament