Women’s Basketball Drops Second Straight, Falls to UNI

Thursday, February 19

Carbondale, Ill.

6 p.m.

Southern Illinois University

9-15,6-9MVC

UNI

13-12,9-6MVC

UNI

Southern Ill.

Jeniah Thompson

02/20/2026 | 12:09:00 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Peter Borkowski

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois women's basketball (9-15, 6-9) ended a three-game homestand on Thursday night as they hosted UNI (13-12, 9-6). After a tight first half, the Panthers pulled away in the second half to defeat SIU 77-48.

"A tale of two halves," says head coach Kelly Bond-White. "When you're guarding an offensive team like UNI and the defense is right in front of you, you play a little bit better. You're calling stuff out, the bench is calling stuff out and for the most part, besides the transition in the late second quarter, I thought we did a good job."

Inside the Box Score

Kynnedi Davis was the only Saluki to score double-digit points as she led the team with 14.
Indya Green led the team in rebounds with eight.

How it Happened

First Quarter
After a minute of scoreless action, the Panthers struck first, but SIU quickly tied things up thanks to a Green layup. Alayna Kraus then gave Southern a lead with a threeball. That lead was only temporary though, as the Panthers dropped four straight to retake the lead, 6-5.

Davis then scored a layup to put the Salukis before Green added another score to put SIU up by three. After swapping free-throw makes, a three-pointer by the Panthers evened things up at 10-10 with 2:47 left in the first quarter.

Tkiyah Nelson put SIU in front again with a layup, but the Panthers scored five of the final seven points to take a 15-14 lead into the break.

Second Quarter
The second quarter started with a UNI free throw temporarily extending their lead, but a Karris Allen three put the Salukis on top 17-16. A 4-0 Panther run then made it 18-17 in favor of the visitors, but another Salukis three, this one from Davis, knotted things up again at 20-20.

A 7:11, Kraus hit a jumper to give the Salukis a 22-20 lead, but the teams continued trading baskets until it was 24-24. UNI scored next to go up 26-24 before the Salukis hit a free throw to cut the lead in half. However, the Panthers struck again from downtown to go up by four. A Davis jumper brought that lead down to two, and the teams then exchanged two-point plays until it was 31-29. A five-point spree from the Panthers increased their lead to seven.

With 34 seconds left in the first half, Green to pull SIU within five, but the Panthers hit a three with just five seconds left to take a 39-31 advantage into halftime.

Third Quarter
Coming out of halftime, the Panthers hit the first basket of the third quarter to build a double-digit lead. Jeniah Thompson brought the deficit back within single-digits, and a free throw made it a seven-point game. A 6-0 Panthers' run quickly ballooned their lead up to 13.

Green ended the UNI run with a jumper, but the Panthers dropped another three straight points to build a 14-point advantage. The Salukis did take four of the next six points to pull back within 12. After a Panther basket and Salukis free throw, UNI ended the quarter with a three to lead 57-41 heading into the final frame of play.

Fourth Quarter
The Salukis came out of the quarter break with a Kayla Cooper layup, but that was quickly wiped off the board by a UNI three. The Panthers scored five straight following the three to take a 22-point lead, but another Cooper layup ended that run.

Over the next few minutes, the Panthers went on a 7-0 run to take a 72-45 lead. Cooper added a three with 2:48 left for the Salukis' final bucket of the game. UNI dropped five points to end the game and finalize the score at 77-48.

Up Next
Southern now hits the road as they visit Indiana State on Saturday, Feb. 21, for a 1 p.m. CST contest.

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.