Iowa Women's Basketball Tip Time Preview: Northern Iowa Panthers

NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS (0-2, 0-0) AT #21 IOWA HAWKEYES (3-0, 0-0)

TIME: 2:00pm CT

TV: ESPN+ – J.W. Cox and Jacqui Kalin

SERIES: 31st Meeting – Iowa leads the series 27-3 – Iowa has won by 10+ in 14 of last 16 wins

BY THE NUMBERS

OFFENSE: IOWA: 101.7 PPG, 56.8% FG, 38.4% 3PT, 16.3 TO NORTHERN IOWA: 53.5 PPG, 31.9% FG, 28.1% 3PT, 18.5 TO, +22.0 REB MARGIN

DEFENSE: IOWA: 50.7 PPG, 31.5% FG, 28.4% 3PT, 21.3 TO NORTHERN IOWA: 62.5 PPG, 33.1% FG, 31.3% 3PT, 14.5 TO, -1.5 REB MARGIN

IOWA HAWKEYES PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Chit-Chat Wright	Point Guard	5-4/ Soph.	Georgia Tech transfer. Averaging 12.5 PPG, 8.5 AST and 27.3 MIN. Made 43 threes and posted a 2.21 assist-to-turnover ratio LY. 14 pts, 3 ast vs Drake
Taylor McCabe	Guard	5-9/ Sr.	Averaging 9.0 PPG, 4.0 REB, 3.5 AST and 21.3 MIN. Career-high 68 made threes and 12 games with 3+ made threes LY. 6 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast vs Drake
Kylie Feuerbach	Guard	6-0/ Grad Sr.	Averaging 6.0 PPG, 3.0 REB, 3.0 AST and 17.3 MIN. Career-high 38 made threes and 78 assists LY. 5 pts, 4 ast vs Drake
Hannah Stuelke	Forward	6-2/ Sr.	Averaging 16.5 PPG, 7.5 REB and 23.9 MIN. Scored 10+ points in 25 of 32 games. Recorded seven double-doubles LY. 11 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast vs Drake
Ava Heiden	Center	6-4/ Soph.	Averaging 17.5 PPG, 12.0 REB and 22.8 MIN. Scored in double figures in three of last four games LY. 14 pts, 6 reb vs Drake

NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Taryn Wharton	Guard	5-5/ Sr.	Averaging 12.5 PPG, 3.5 REB and 30.0 MIN. Seventh in scoring and sixth in minutes played last season. 15 pts, 3 reb vs St Louis
Bri Robinson	Guard	5-8/ Jr.	Averaging 2.5 PPG and 15.5 MIN. Made three starts last season and averaged 7.0 minutes per game.
Jenna Twedt	Guard	5-8/ Jr.	Kirkwood CC transfer. Averaging 11.0 PPG, 3.5 REB and 29.0 MIN. ICCAC Player of the Year last season. 8 pts, 3 reb vs St Louis
Ryley Goebel	Forward	6-0/ Sr.	Averaging 5.0 PPG, 6.0 REB and 22.5 MIN. MVC All-Defensive Team. Scored in double figures 17 times LY. 8 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast vs St Louis
Elise Jaeger	Forward	6-2/ Soph.	Averaging 7.0 PPG, 9.5 REB and 34.5 MIN. MVC All-Freshman Team. Started 19 games. Leading returner in made threes (25). 6 pts, 11 reb vs St Louis

NORTHERN IOWA PLAYER TO WATCH: Guard Jenna Twedt

Kirkwood CC transfer Jenna Twedt was one of two non-DI transfer additions that UNI made over the offseason. The former Eagles guard was named ICCAC Player of the Year last season, averaging 16.1 points per game, while she made 199 three-pointers at a 38.5% clip over two seasons. She scored 14 points in the opener against NDSU but is just 2-of-10 (20.0%) from behind the arc through two games. Twedt made 4+ triples in 21 of 71 games at Kirkwood, so the Hawkeye defense has to know where she is at all times. The Panthers have really struggled from behind the arc, but Twedt can really fill it up.

KEY MATCHUP TO WATCH: Turnover Battle

It’s really hard to imagine a scenario where Iowa doesn’t win the rebounding battle by a considerable amount. The Hawkeyes are outrebounding opponents 146-80 and outscoring them 47-16 in second chance points through three games. Northern Iowa simply cannot compound that by losing the turnover battle because Iowa is also averaging 1.44 points per turnover forced. The Panthers rank 224th in offensive turnover rate and 276th in defensive turnover rate. Since turning it over 24 times in the opener against Southern, Iowa has turned it over just 25 times over the last two games.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS

In her 19th season as head coach of the Panthers, Tanya Warren has taken the UNI WBB program to three NCAA Tournaments, but they haven’t made the field of 64 since 2017. The Panthers are just 33-33 over the past two seasons, including an 8-18 record against non-conference opponents. This season, UNI is off to an 0-2 start, averaging just 53.5 points per game. They fell to North Dakota State (63-49) in the opener and followed it up with a loss to St Louis (62-58).

Looking at the rest of the Panthers projected starting five, there are a couple of familiar returners, but a couple of players playing in new roles. Senior guard Taryn Wharton has been the leading scorer for the Panthers to start the year, averaging 12.5 points per game. With players like Maya McDermott and Kayba Laube no longer on the roster, Wharton is someone that needs to take a bigger scoring role. She averaged 7.2 points per game last season and scored in double figures in eight games, including a season-high 18 points against Illinois State. UNI needs someone to step up as a three-point shooter, but Wharton is just 39-of-139 (28.1%) for her career.

One of two returning starters for the Panthers this season, forward Elise Jaeger was an MVC All-Freshman Team selection last season, averaging 5.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. She scored in double figures in just three games, including a season-high 15 points against Illinois State, but is the Panthers leading returner in made threes from last season (25). She’s able to stretch the floor with her perimeter shooting and shot it well (36.8%). Jaeger averaged 8.96 rebounds per 40 minutes last season and has totaled 19 rebounds through two games this season, including 11 boards against St Louis.

Senior forward Ryley Goebel is the other returning starter from last season, starting all 34 games for the Panthers. She was a productive third scorer, averaging 10.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 58.9% from the floor. Goebel scored in double figures in 17 games, including three games with 20+ points. She’s an efficient scorer, ranking top 20 in two-point field goal percentage a year ago, but foul trouble has hindered her minutes to start this year. Goebel has committed nine fouls in 45 minutes and averaged 4.60 fouls per 40 minutes last season.

One last name to know for the Panthers, NAIA Montreat College transfer guard Virginia Edmundson has given some decent production off the bench, tallying 17 points and 13 rebounds through two games. Edmundson was a First Team All-AAC selection and was named AAC Defensive Player of the Year tallying 100 steals.

A deeper look at the advanced stats behind the matchup between the Hawkeyes and Panthers…

THE PICK

Warren Nolan Projection: IOWA 81 NORTHERN IOWA 65

Bart Torvik Projection: IOWA 77 NORTHERN IOWA 60

This feels a bit like two teams headed in opposite directions. The Hawkeyes opened as a preseason top 25 team and are really clicking on the offensive end of the floor, with potential to get even better as the season goes on. As for Northern Iowa, they’ve really struggled to open the year. They’ve struggled to score; they haven’t rebounded very well, and they haven’t forced many turnovers. On paper, that will not fare well against the Hawkeyes who rank 1st in two-point percentage, 6th in points per possession and 5th in rebounding. Iowa wins in a rout again and then the focus turns to a really, really fun one with Baylor next week. IOWA 95 NORTHERN IOWA 62