Vareika's Best Not Enough in Northern Iowa Defeat

Saturday, December 13

Cedar Falls, Iowa

3:00 PM

Dartmouth College

5-4

Northern Iowa

3-6

Dartmouth

UNI

Vareika's Best Not Enough in Northern Iowa Defeat

12/13/2014 5:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Dartmouth

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Sophomore Katie Vareika tied a career-best with 17 points, but the Dartmouth women's basketball team fell to Northern Iowa, 62-46, on Saturday afternoon at the McLeod Center.

Dartmouth is now 5-4 overall and has dropped its last three games — all road contests — while Northern Iowa improved to 3-6.

Vareika's 17 points came from 5-of-9 shooting from the outside, as the Big Green needed to combat a sharp shooting Northern Iowa squad that scored 30 points from the outside. The South Easton, Massachusetts, native previous best was set at DePaul on Dec. 16, 2013. Classmate Fanni Szabo added 13 points for the Big Green but was often face guarded and shot 6-of-20.

The Big Green shot 31 percent from the floor and connected on 6-of-18 from three. For the second consecutive game, the Big Green's attempt to get to the line was held to a minimum but made 4-of-5 free throws.

Northern Iowa converted on more shots from the outside (10) than inside (9) the perimeter. However, the Panthers also added 14 points from the charity stripe — mostly late — as the team scored their final nine points from the line. The hosts edged out the Big Green on the glass, 42-38, but Dartmouth's defense picked up eight steals and four blocks.

Entering the contest, Northern Iowa attempted 186 three-pointers through eight games.

After 20 minutes, the Panthers connected on 8-of-18 opportunities and took a nine-point lead, 33-24. Freshman Amber Mixon scored on the opening possession for the Green, but a pair of three's sandwiched between a layup by Brooke Brown gave the hosts an 8-2 lead at 15:58.

Dartmouth used the outside of the arc on the next possession as senior Milica Toskovic nailed a triple from the elbow. Over the next four minutes, the Panthers went on a 10-1 run and took an 18-6 lead with 10:22 remaining. Dartmouth closed the gap with a 7-0 run of its own and trailed 18-13 after Dawson sank a pair from the line at 8:14.

Northern Iowa took its largest lead of the half 30-15 off a trio of trifectas by Amber Sorenson (2) and Madison Weekly. In the final five minute of the half, Dartmouth not only adjusted its defensive assignments, but also found a way to contain the Panthers deep threat. Szabo and Vareika each finished the stanza with a pair of baskets to bring the Big Green to within nine.

In the second half, Dartmouth moved to within six points at 16:01, but a near seven-minute scoring drought and costly turnovers kept the Panthers lead above double digits. Dartmouth chipped away at the deficit with a jumper by junior Daisy Jordan and Vareika's fourth three-point basket to make it 46-37. The final eight minutes of play saw the Big Green shot 4-of-17 from the field.

Sorensen finished with a game-high 20 points on 4-of-8 from the outside and 6-of-8 from the line. Northern Iowa finished with two other players in double figures — Weekly (14) and Brown (10) — and had all but one player score.

Dartmouth's bench was a contributing factor to the contest scoring 21 points, but 17 points in the paint and 17 off turnovers led to the Panthers victory.

Dartmouth will conclude its four-game road swing at New Hampshire on Thursday evening. The game can be heard live on ESPN radio — WTSL 94.5 FM / 1400 AM and WTSV 1230 AM.