WICHITA -- The Wichita State women's basketball team (9-3, 1-0 MVC) got a game-high 21 points from Morgan Boyd and another double-double from freshman Jazimen Gordon as the Shockers defeated UNI (4-8, 0-1 MVC), 74-64, in both teams' Missouri Valley Conference opener Thursday night inside Charles Koch Arena.

Boyd's second 20-point effort in the last four games paced all scorers, while Gordon tied a career best with 14 points and posted a career-high 14 boards in her second-consecutive double-double performance. Haleigh Lankster poured in 17 points while Sheena Johnson chipped in 12 to lead WSU to a win in its conference opener for the first time since 2006.

Lizzie Boeck and Jacqui Kalin each scored 15 points to lead the Panthers, while Erin Brocka led UNI with 14 boards.

Both teams started ice cold from the field, as the squads combined to go just 4-for-16 from the field in the opening minutes. The teams worked through four ties and seven lead changes before the Shockers finally grabbed the biggest lead of the game to that point when Morgan Boyd scored on a laying that gave the Shockers a 18-15 edge with 5:15 left in the first.

The lead was short lived as UNI quickly ripped off five-straight to regain the lead, 20-18, at the 4:15 mark but a Chynna Turner putback tied the game for the fifth time in the first with three minutes left in the opening frame.

The Shocks then used a 7-0 run to break out to a 27-23 lead following Jessica Diamond's three pointer at the 1:36 mark before UNI reeled off five-straight to cut the WSU lead to one, 28-27, with :40 seconds left after a pair of Jacqui Kalin free throws. Boyd's jumper with :20 seconds left fashioned the halftime score of 29-28.

After starting the half just 2-for-8, the Shockers finished the first by going 11-for-23 to post a 41.9-percent effort from the floor in the opening frame. UNI shot 37.9-percent, while WSU scored 11 of its 29 first half points off of UNI turnovers.

The second half started much the same way as the first ended with six ties and eight lead changes in the first eight minutes after the break. WSU used an 13-5 run to break out to a 55-49 edge following a Lankster laying with 7:45 to play, the largest lead of the game for either team to that point.

Gordon's jumper stretched the Shocker lead to eight, 57-49, before Lizzie Boeck's laying snapped a near four-minute drought for the Panthers, cutting the WSU advantage to 57-51 with seven minutes to play. Another jumper by Boeck cut the WSU edge to 57-53 before Lankster drained her first three of the night to put the Shockers back up by five, 60-55, at the 5:47 mark of the second.

Boeck's 15th point of the night brought the Panthers to within three, 60-57, with five minutes left but the Shockers continued to have an answer. Gordon's jumper with 3:10 left pushed WSU's lead to 66-57, and Haleigh Lankster connected on a pair at the stripe after an intentional foul to give the Shockers its largest lead of the game, 68-57 with 2:30 left to play and UNI could never recover.

Wichita State wraps up a three-game homestead when the Shockers play host to Bradley (4-7, 0-1 MVC) at 2:05 p.m., Saturday afternoon inside Charles Koch Arena.