Skid Continues as Women’s Basketball Falls at UNI

Sunday, January 4

Cedar Falls, IA

2 p.m.

Southern Illinois University

3-10,0-4MVC

UNI

8-6,4-0MVC

Southern Ill.

UNI

Photo by: Peter Borkowski

01/04/2026 | 7:55:00 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Peter Borkowski

CEDAR FALLS, IOWA - Southern Illinois women's basketball (3-10, 0-4) ended their first roadtrip of the calendar year on Sunday with a visit to UNI (8-6, 4-0). Despite keeping up early on, the Salukis eventually lost sight of the Panthers and lost 91-64.

Inside the Box Score

Kayla Cooper led sign in scoring with 11 points.
Jeniah Thompson also had double-digit points with 10.
Tkiyah Nelson served as the main assist threat for SIU with five helpers.

How it Happened

First Quarter
Both offenses found success in the opening minutes, with UNI taking an early 5-4 lead two minutes into the game. A 9-0 run by the Panthers over the next two minutes built their lead up to 14-4 however. A layup by Indya Green cut the deficit to single digits, but UNI quickly scored again to retake a 10-point lead.

A six-point spree from the Salukis cut UNI's lead down to four, 15-12. The Panthers almost jacked their lead up to 10 again, but a basket from Alayna Kraus with less than 30 seconds made it 20-14. But the quarter ended with a last-second Panther score to set the score at 22-14 heading into the second quarter.

Second Quarter
Once the second frame started, the Panthers grabbed the first 12 points of the quarter to take a commanding 34-14 lead. Kraus ended the run with a three-pointer at the 6:44 mark, and an 8-4 run afterwards by SIU pulled them within 13, 38-25, with 2:20 left in the half.

In the final few minutes of the quarter, UNI outscored the Salukis 9-1 to lead 47-26 heading into the halftime break.

Third Quarter
Coming out of the break, the two squads exchanged two-pointers until the 8:42 mark. This point kicked off an 11-point Panther spree to give UNI a 60-30 lead with 4:46 on the clock. The run was ended by a Green layup, but UNI picked things back up with a 10-point run to lead 70-32 with 1:36 left.

An old fashioned three-point play by Thompson helped Southern score five straight, but the final three points of the frame belonged to the Panthers, who took a 73-37 advantage into the final 10 minutes.

Fourth Quarter
UNI kept pouring it on to start the fourth, potting the first eight points of the quarter to extend their advantage to 81-37. A three from Hiba Malkawi at the 8:20 mark gave SIU some momentum, as they went on to take eight of the next 12 points to pull within 40.

Three made free throws at 5:48 was UNI's final points until the final 34 seconds, as the Salukis went on an impressive 17-0 run to make it 88-62. UNI hit a three before Ternadoo Agatha Agba scored the final bucket of the game at 0:16, setting the final score at 91-64.

Up Next
The Salukis return to Banterra Center for the first time in 2026 to host Evansville on Thursday, Jan. 8, at 6 p.m.

Follow the Salukis
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on Twitter at @SIU_WBasketball, on Instagram at @SIU_WBasketball, and on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiAthletics. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.