CEDAR FALLS, Iowa-- Host Northern Iowa hung on for a 61-56 non-conference win over North Dakota Tuesday night at the McLeod Center. UND led by nine at the half, but a six-minute-plus scoring drought early in the second half helped the Panthers rally.

"It was a game of runs and I thought we played hard," UND head coach Travis Brewster. "It's tough on the road and it was a good environment and they hit some key shots."

UND (0-2) held UNI (1-1) without a point until the 15:12 mark as the Panthers misfired on nine of their first 10 shots from the floor. UNI closed to within four on a couple different occasions in the opening frame, but North Dakota scored the final five points of the half to take a 33-24 lead at the intermission.

Coming out of the break, a Mia Loyd layup would make it 39-31 North Dakota, but the visitors would go the next 6:46 without a basket allowing UNI to roll up 14 straight points. Junior Siri Burck answered with back-to-back triples to re-tie the score and break the scoring drought. The first three came on the right wing and the second a possession later from the left side and the score was knotted at 45-all.

After Jen Keitel scored a pair of her game-high 14 points, senior Madi Buck converted a three-point play as UND regained the lead. From there, the lead would change hands five times with Leah Szabla scoring on a drive to make it 56-54 North Dakota. The final lead change came on the next trip when Keitel responded with a triple to give UNI a one-point lead and the Panthers closed it out with free throws in the final minute to seal it.|

Loyd tallied a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds while Allyssa Wall added nine points and 10 boards and Buck scored nine with nine rebounds as well.

North Dakota heads home to face rival South Dakota Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.