CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – In their final tune-up for the regular season University of Sioux Falls Women's Basketball dropped an 80-53 decision at NCAA Division I Northern Iowa in an exhibition game on Saturday evening. The Cougars open the regular season on Tuesday, Nov. 14 when they host Presentation College at 6 p.m. in the Stewart Center.
 
Tabbed as USF's Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference player to watch, sophomore guard Kaely Hummel led the Cougars with 18 points, including three 3-pointers. Joining Hummel as a returning starter from last year's 22-win squad, Jacey Huinker scored eight points, grabbed seven rebounds and handed out two assists.
 
Freshman guard Jasmine Harris, sophomore guard Augusta Thramer, and senior center Moira Duffy rounded out the starting five for the Cougars and they combined for 17 points, led by Harris's eight. Lauren Sanders and Mariah Szymanski came off the bench to score five points each, both going 1-for-2 from behind the arc.
 
Hummel scored four points in the opening quarter and Szymanski's buzzer-beating three had USF down, 23-11, after the first quarter. Hummel hit her first three of the game at the midway point of the second quarter, which cut the UNI lead to single digits.
 
Hummel's second three stopped a Panther run and Huinker's fast break lay-up pulled USF within eight. Northern Iowa pulled away briefly but Szymanski sank two free throws before Hummel connected on her third three to trim the lead to six before a late three gave UNI a nine-point advantage, 38-29, at halftime.
 
Keeping the Cougars' deficit within the low teens, Huinker hit a pair of jumpers early in the third quarter. Hummel and Harris combined for a four-point spurt to cut the UNI lead to 11 points. After a three by Sanders, the Panthers had a late surge and pushed the advantage to 64-44 entering the final frame.
 
After Duffy went 1-for-2 at the line, Hummel hit a lay-up and Thramer hit four straight free throws to keep the UNI lead in the teens. Sanders connected on a jumper for the Cougars final points before Northern Iowa pulled away in the final minutes for their 80-53 victory.