MOLINE, Ill. — It didn't matter how it arrived; any degree of ugly would do just fine. The Northern Iowa women's basketball team simply needed to find any victorious path to Sunday's season-changing opportunity.
The Panthers fell just short of a season-changing NCAA Tournament bid.
Despite constructing a six-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, No. 3 seed UNI didn't score over the game's final five minutes as No. 6 seed Illinois State slowly clawed back. The Redbirds finished the deal for a 50-48 win in the MVC Tournament title game at TaxSlayer Center.
Gunning for their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2017 and their first Hoops in the Heartland title since 2011, the Panthers looked to be in good shape with a 48-42 advantage as the clock ticked under five minutes.