CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Northern Iowa outscored Wichita State by 30 in the second half to run away with an 87-55 win Saturday afternoon, handing the Shockers their first loss of the season.

Wichita State (3-1) trailed by just two at the half, but the Panthers turned that into a 19-point cushion with play heading to the final period.

Trajata Colbert recorded her second straight game in double figures with a team-high 10 points.

Northern Iowa caught fire in the second half and never looked back. They finished the game shooting a season-high 55 percent overall, while cashing in 12-of-25 attempts from beyond the arc.

Nicole Kroeger led four Panthers in double figures with a game-high 16 points.

Colbert scored six of the Shockers' first 10 points of the game to give Wichita State an early 10-7 lead. Wichita State continued to hold a three-point margin until a late UNI three-pointer tied the game at 18 to end the first quarter.

Wichita State grabbed its largest lead of the half at 30-25 with 4:14 remaining only to see the Panthers score eight unanswered to go up 33-30. Seraphine Bastin snapped the run with a free throw and layup, but UNI came right back down to score in the final seconds, giving UNI a 35-33 lead at the break.

DJ McCarty gave the Shockers a spark off the bench, scoring all nine of her points before halftime. The first half featured seven ties and five lead changes.

UNI extended its lead to seven just a little over three minutes into the third quarter behind a 6-0 spurt. That run would then turn into a 12-2 margin to put the Panthers up by 11, forcing a second Wichita State timeout in the quarter.

The Panthers kept their foot on the gas for the remainder of the third, extending their lead to as many as 21. UNI outscored Wichita State 29-12 in the third to take a commanding 64-45 lead into the final frame.

A 12-4 start to the fourth quarter put the game firmly out of reach with the Panthers holding a 76-49 lead with 4:18 to go. UNI eventually led by as many as 34 in the fourth.

Up Next
Wichita State faces Prairie View A&M in the first of four straight home games Tuesday, Nov. 23 at 6 p.m. in Charles Koch Arena.