Top-10 Takedown: UNI Women’s Basketball Shocks Iowa State

College basketball programs in the state of Iowa continue to prove time and time again that women's sports has always been worth watching.

The UNI Panthers made history on November 20th with a thrilling upset over No. 8 Iowa State, sending shockwaves through college basketball.

The eighth ranked Iowa State women’s basketball team ventured to the McLeod Center for an in state matchup.

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Iowa State's Undefeated Streak Ends in Cedar Falls

A lot of eyes were on ISU’s sophomore phenom Audi Crooks this evening.

During her freshman season at ISU, the Algona native proved herself to be a major asset to the Cyclones roster.

Once the team made their bid for the NCAA tournament this past year, Crooks became an even bigger name in collegiate basketball.

Going into this matchup, the Cyclones were 4-0. However, that winning streak came to a screeching halt when the women headed out for their first away game of the season.

Grace Boffeli’s Absence Doesn't Stop UNI's Historic Night

UNI was not messing around during this battle. Even though the team was short one of its most crucial players, Grace Boffeli, due to an ACL injury, the Panthers came out claws first.

The one time Missouri Valley Conference champions delivered an exhilarating upset to the Cedar Valley Wednesday evening.

Let’s put this into perspective here…

UNI Fans Celebrate a Victory for the Record Books

Iowa State has been a frequent contender in the NCAA tournament year after year. During the 2024 season, the team celebrated five back ti back appearances in March Madness, according to reports.

The University of Northern Iowa has been to the tourney a handful of times; 2010, 2011, and in 2017.

It’s been a couple of years since the Panthers were able to defeat the Cyclones. The last time the Cedar Falls team beat ISU was back in December of 2019, according to a report from Yahoo Sports.

So, when UNI upsets the eighth ranked ISU with a 87-75 win; of course it’s going to be a big deal.

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Not only did senior Maya McDermott score a career-high 37 points on this November night but her teammate Kayla Laube followed close behind her and added 21 to the Panthers win.

To top it all off, the women’s basketball squad at UNI can now say they officially beat a top ten ranked team.

For UNI fans, this victory wasn’t just a game—it was a statement. Beating a top-ten team for the first time cements the Panthers as a force in college basketball.

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