UNI Hoops in Hawaii for Diamond Head Classic

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UNI (7-3) at Hawaii (7-1) | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS
Wed., Dec. 23, 2015 • 12:30 a.m. (CT)
Honolulu, Hawaii • Stan Sheriff Center (10,300)

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television
ESPNU
   Play-by-Play: Roxy Bernstein
   Analyst: Brad Daugherty

Radio
Panther Sports Network
   Play-by-Play: Gary Rima
   Analyst: Kevin Boyle
Flagship - NewsTalk 1540-AM KXEL
On the Web - UNIPanthers.com, TuneIn

Live Stats - uni.StatBroadcast.com

SCHEDULE OF GAMES
Tues., Dec. 22
Auburn vs. New Mexico, 1:30 pm
BYU vs. Harvard, 4 pm
Oklahoma vs. Washington St., 10 pm
UNI at Hawaii, 12:30 am

Wed., Dec. 23
Loser G1 vs. Loser G2, 1:30 pm
Winner G1 vs. Winner G2, 4 pm
Winner G3 vs. Winner G4, 8 pm
Loser G3 vs. Loser G4, 10:30 pm

Fri., Dec. 25
7th Place Game, Noon or 2:30 pm
5th Place Game, Noon or 2:30 pm
3rd Place Game, 5:30 pm
Championship Game, 8 pm
ALL TIMES CT

OPENING TIP
• UNI (7-3 overall) fresh off an 81-79 win over No. 5-ranked Iowa State will travel to Honolulu, Hawaii, for the 2015 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. UNI will play games on Dec. 22, Dec. 23 and Dec. 25.

• UNI will open up play against tournament host Hawaii on Tues., Dec. 22. Tip is set near midnight at the Stan Sheriff Center.

• The winner of the UNI-Hawaii game will take on the winner of the No. 3 Oklahoma/Washington State game on Dec. 23 at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. The two losing teams will play on Dec. 23 at 10:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

• The championship game is set for Fri., Dec. 25, at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

• UNI has secured a pair of top-five wins (AP poll) this season with triumphs over No. 1 North Carolina (71-67) and No. 5 Iowa State (81-79).

• UNI has registered 16 wins over ranked Division I opponents and 13 of those wins have come since Ben Jacobson joined the UNI coaching staff in the 2001-02 season.

• Wes Washpun scored a career-high 28 points, handed a career-best 11 assists and grabbed seven rebounds in UNI's 81-79 victory over No. 5 Iowa State.

• UNI leads the Missouri Valley Conference in 3-pointers made (97).

• Wes Washpun leads the MVC in assists per game (6.5). He has 65 assists in UNI's first nine games.

• Matt Bohannon ranks No. 2 on UNI's all-time 3-pointers made list with 200. He is one three-point make away from tying Ben Jacobson's school-record of 203 3-pointers set from 2002-2006.

• UNI has made at least one 3-pointer in 505 straight games – the longest active streak in the Missouri Valley Conference.

• The NCAA recognizes teams in the top-10 percent of the Academic Progress Report. The UNI men's basketball program is the only Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball school to be listed in the top 10 percent in each of the last three years.

• UNI is one of 14 schools to have won 30 or more games twice in the last six seasons.

UNI MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTES
DIAMOND HEAD CLASSIC
UNI will take part in the 2015 Hawaiian Airllines Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu.
   UNI and Hawaii will meet on Tuesday in an opening-round matchup at the Stan Sheriff Center.
   The winner of the UNI-Hawaii game will take on the winner of the Oklahoma-Washington State game on Wednesday.
   The opposite side of the bracket features Auburn vs. New Mexico and BYU vs. Harvard.
   The teams will be off on Thursday with the championship round of the tournament taking place on Christmas Day on Friday.

A LONG DECEMBER
The Counting Crows had a hit song in 1996 by the title of A Long December and it will seem like that this month for the UNI men's basketball team.
   UNI will embark on its fifth game of a seven-game road trip this Tuesday vs. Hawaii at the Diamond Head Classic.
   UNI's next home game is set for Wed., Dec. 30, against the Bradley Braves in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams.

SCOUTING HAWAII
Hawaii is 7-1 on the season and owns a perfect 7-0 mark at home. The Rainbows have won three in a row heading into Tuesday's game vs. UNI.
   Aaron Valdes leads Hawaii in scoring at 18.1 points per game.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Hawaii won the only previous meeting with UNI in the 1982-83 season. The Rainbows scored a 62-57 overtime win over the Panthers at Hawaii.

STAN SHERIFF CONNECTION
UNI and Hawaii share the Stan Sheriff connection between the two athletic programs. Sheriff served as UNI's football coach and eventually director of athletics during his time at UNI from 1960-1982. Sheriff left UNI in 1983 and became Hawaii's director of athletics until his death in 1993.
   Sheriff's youngest son, Rich, serves as the arena manager for the Stan Sheriff Center.
   The football field in the UNI-Dome on the UNI campus in Cedar Falls is called Sheriff Field.

UNI AGAINST RANKED FOES
UNI has registered 16 wins over ranked Division I opponents and 13 of those wins have come since Ben Jacobson joined the UNI coaching staff in the 2001-02 season.
   UNI already owns ranked wins over No. 1-ranked North Carolina and No. 5-ranked Iowa State this season.
   UNI has posted three wins over ranked foes on neutral courts. UNI defeated No. 11-ranked Missouri in the 1990 NCAA Tournament, 74-71. UNI scored a 69-67 victory over No. 1-ranked Kansas in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. UNI added its third win over a ranked foe in a neutral game on Saturday when the Panthers posted an 81-79 win over the No. 5-ranked Iowa State Cyclones.

MULTIPLE WINS OVER RANKED FOES IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
For the second time in school history, UNI has posted two wins over ranked foes in the non-conference portion of its season. UNI scored a 71-67 win over No. 1 North Carolina (Nov. 21) and the Panthers added an 81-79 triumph over No. 5 Iowa State (Dec. 19).
   UNI defeated No. 12 Iowa (12/6/05), 67-63 in overtime and then posted a victory over No. 24 Bucknell (2/18/06) in double overtime, 65-61.

MVC WINS OVER TOP-5 FOES
An MVC team has beaten two top-5 (AP poll) non-conference teams in the same season just 5 times in its 109-year history.
   Counting UNI's two wins this year No. 1 North Carolina and No. 5 Iowa State the league has 30 wins all-time against non-conference top-5 teams.
   The Panthers are the first MVC team to win two such regular-season games in the span of a month, having beaten UNC on Nov. 21.
   The last MVC team to beat two Top-5 non-conference teams in the same season (AP poll) was Wichita State in 1965-66, and in the five times it has happened, only three times have both games been during the regular season.

MVC WINS THIS SEASON OVER RANKED OPPONENTS
UNI's win over Iowa State also marks the third top-25 win by an MVC school this year. UNI topped No. 1 North Carolina and Wichita State defeated No. 24/25 Utah last week.

WASHPUN EARNS MVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS AGAIN
For the second time this season, UNI senior guard Wes Washpun has been named the Missouri Valley Conference's Player of the Week.
   Washpun was also named the CollegeSportsMadness.com National High-Major Player of the week.
   Washpun collected career-highs in points (28) and assists (11) in leading UNI to an 81-79 win over No. 5-ranked Iowa State at the Big Four Classic in Des Moines. Washpun drained all six of his first-half shots and led the Panthers with 17 first-half points. Washpun finished the game shooting 9-of-14 from the field, 8-of-10 at the line and 2-of-4 from three-point land. Washpun also led the Panthers with seven rebounds against the Cyclones.

DISHING IN DOUBLE FIGURES
Senior guard Wes Washpun handed out a career-high 11 assists in Saturday's 81-79 win over Iowa State. It marked the most assists by a Panther since Brooks McKowen also dished out 11 assists in a 99-82 win over Iowa State (Dec. 1, 2004).

JESPERSON FROM DOWNTOWN
Senior guard Paul Jesperson knocked in a career-high 21 points as he drained 7-of-9 three-pointers in UNI's 81-79 win over No. 5-ranked Iowa State.
   Jesperson has scored in double figures in four consecutive games. He ranks second on the squad in scoring at 13.1 per game.

Active 20-Plus Point Scoring Games
Wes Washpun (4)
Matt Bohannon (1)
Paul Jesperson (1)
Jeremy Morgan (1)

BO KEEPS KNOCKING 'EM IN
Senior guard Matt Bohannon has made a team-best 27 three-pointers through the first 10 games.
   He has made at least one 3-pointer in 20 straight games - dating back to last season.
   Bohannon ranks No. 2 on UNI's all-time 3-pointers made list with 202. He is one three-point make away from tying Ben Jacobson's school-record 203 3-pointers set from 2002-2006.

UNI CAREER 3-POINTERS MADE
1.   Ben Jacobson (2002-06)           203
2.   Matt Bohannon (2012-pres.)   202
3.   Johnny Moran (2008-12)   201
   Marc Sonnen (2009-13)           201
5.   Nick Nurse (1985-89)           170
6.   Darian DeVries (1994-98)   166
7.   Robbie Sieverding (1998-02)   157
8.   Ali Farokhmanesh (2008-10)   152
9.   Maurice Newby (1987-91)   146
10.   Chris Foster (2000-05)           144

UNI CAREER 3-POINTERS ATTEMPTS
1.   Johnny Moran (2008-12)   601
2.   Matt Bohannon (2012-pres.)   520
3.   Ben Jacobson (2002-06)           519
4.   Marc Sonnen (2009-13)           480
5.   Chris Foster (2000-05)           422
6.   Robbie Sieverding (1998-02)   418
7.   Darian DeVries (1994-98)   407
8.   Ali Farokhmanesh (2008-10)   405
9.   Maurice Newby (1987-91)   391
10.   Brooks McKowen (2003-07)   376

PLENTY OF PANTHER POINTS
UNI is scoring 77.0 points per game in 2015-16, which is the highest per game average since the Panthers put up 77.2 points per game for Eldon Miller in the 1995-96 season.
   UNI set its single-season per game secoring averag of 85.1 points per game in the 1988-89 season.

DON'T FORGET THE DEFENSE
It's not all about scoring this year, as UNI can also play some defense.
   UNI is allowing 69.7 points per game.
   In UNI's seven wins, the Panthers have limited the opposition to 65.0 points per game.

UNI VS. RANKED TEAMS
Since the 1979-80 season, UNI has compiled a mark of 16-34 vs. ranked opponents.
   UNI is 12-6 at home against ranked opponents. The Panthers have won four of their last five home games against ranked foes.
   UNI is 2-0 all-time against No. 1-ranked opponents. UNI secured a 71-67 win over North Carolina in the McLeod Center on Nov. 21, 2015. The Panthers also recorded a 69-67 win over No. 1 Kansas in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
   UNI has posted a mark of 3-2 in its last five matchups against top-five ranked foes.

UNI vs. Ranked Opponents (since 1979-80)
#5   Iowa State   W, 81-79 (N) - 12/19/15
#1   North Carolina   W, 71-67 (H) - 11/21/15
#17   Louisville   L, 66-53 (N) - 3/22/15
#11   Wichita State   L, 74-60 (A) - 2/28/15
#12   Wichita State   W, 70-54 (H) - 1/31/15
#4   Wichita State   L, 82-73 (H) - 2/8/14
#8   Wichita State   L, 67-53 (A) - 1/5/14
#17   Iowa State   L, 91-82 OT (N) - 12/7/13
#15   Wichita State   W, 57-52 (H) - 2/2/13
#12   Creighton   L, 79-68 (A) - 1/15/13
#21   UNLV   L, 73-59 (A) - 12/19/12
#19   Memphis   L, 52-47 (N) - 11/24/12
#2   Louisville   L, 51-46 (N) - 11/22/12
#13   Creighton   W, 65-62 (H) - 2/4/12
#23   Creighton   L, 63-60 (A) - 1/10/12
#10   Syracuse   L, 68-46 (A) - 11/12/10
#13   Michigan State   L, 59-52 (N) - 3/26/10
#1   Kansas   W, 69-67 (N) - 3/20/10
#15   Marquette   L, 73-43 (N) - 11/28/08
#14   Drake   L, 65-55 (H) - 2/16/08
#22   Drake   L, 58-54 (A) - 1/26/08
#11   Nevada   L, 79-64 (A) - 2/17/07
#16   Wichita State   W, 63-59 (A) - 12/30/06
#17   Washington   L, 70-61 (A) - 11/14/06
#23   Georgetown   L, 54-49 (N) - 3/17/06
#24   Bucknell   W, 65-61 (H) - 2/18/06
#12   Iowa   W, 67-63 (H) - 12/6/05
#20   Wisconsin   L, 57-52 (N) - 3/18/05
#17   Iowa   L, 76-73 (A) - 12/7/05
#14   Georgia Tech   L, 65-60 (N) - 3/19/04
#15   Southern Illinois   W, 68-52 (H) - 3/1/04
#20   Creighton   W, 82-73 (H) - 1/14/04
#24    Iowa   W, 77-66 (H) - 12/9/03
#13   Creighton   L, 84-75 (H) - 2/4/03
#11   Iowa   W, 78-76 (H) - 12/4/01
#17   Alabama   L, 64-56 (N) - 12/20/00
#10   Iowa   W, 84-78 (H) - 12/9/97
#12   Iowa   L, 78-73 (H) - 12/5/95
#11   Iowa State   L, 81-62 (H) - 1/25/95
#8   Iowa   L, 64-44 (A) - 12/8/92
#16   Iowa   L, 108-85 (H) - 12/19/91
#20   Minnesota   L, 81-78 (N) - 3/18/90
#11   Missouri   W, 74-71 (N) - 3/16/90
#20   Iowa   W, 77-74 (H) - 1/3/90
#3   Georgetown   L, 83-49 (N) - 12/29/89
#5   Iowa   L, 95-76 (A) - 12/6/88
#14   Missouri   L, 91-62 (A) - 1/12/83
#6   Iowa   L, 84-53 (A) - 12/21/81
#14   Iowa   L, 86-52 (A) - 12/30/80
#20   Iowa   L, 78-46 (A) - 12/6/79
NOTE: Associated Press poll used

UNI's Record vs. Ranked Opponents
Overall   Home   Away   Neutral
16-34   12-6   1-16   3-12

UNI'S 3-POINT STREAK
UNI has made at least one 3-pointer in 505 straight games – the longest active streak in the Missouri Valley Conference.
   The last time UNI failed to make a 3-point basket came Feb. 3, 2000, vs. Southern Illinois in a 72-58 Panther victory in the UNI-Dome. UNI went 0-for-4 from 3-point land vs. the Salukis in that contest.

FOR STARTERS
UNI's starting five consists of Matt Bohannon, Paul Jesperson, Bennett Koch, Jeremy Morgan and Wes Washpun.
   Bohannon and Morgan are the two returning starters from last year's 31-4 Panther squad.
   Jesperson started 33 career games at the University of Virginia before transferring to UNI. Prior to this season, Jesperson's last start came at Virginia on March 27, 2013 vs. Iowa in the NIT.
   Washpun started 29 games as a sophomore for the Panthers. His last start previous the pair this season came March 7, 2014, in the MVC Tournament vs. Southern Illinois.
   Koch came off the bench in all 28 games he played as a redshirt freshman.

No. of Starts for UNI's Starters
Matt Bohannon - 82 career starts
Jeremy Morgan - 55 career starts
Paul Jesperson - 43 career starts
Wes Washpun - 39 career starts
Bennett Koch - 10 career starts

DISHING AT A RECORD PACE
Senior guard Wes Washpun is handing out assists at a record-pace this season at 6.5 assists per game, which is also tops in the Missouri Valley Conference and ranks No. 21 in the country.
   Jay Imhoff (1979-80) and Brooks McKowen (2006-07) hold the UNI single-season assist record at 5.8 assists per game.

MORGAN IS MAKING PLAYS
Junior guard Jeremy Morgan has shown he can do it all this season from scoring and rebounding to defending.
   Morgan ranks first on the team in steals (17) and blocks (8). He ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.5 rpg) and fourth on the team in scoring (10.6 ppg).
   Morgan's steal of Joel Berry II's pass with :08 left and ensuing free throw helped clinch UNI's 71-67 victory over No. 1 North Carolina (Nov. 21).

WELLS FARGO ARENA MARKS
Wes Washpun set the Wells Fargo Arena NCAA Division I record with 11 assists vs. Iowa State. Washpun set the previous mark against Iowa State (Dec. 12, 2013).
   Paul Jesperson set the Wells Fargo Arena mark for three-pointers in a game with seven. The previous mark of six was set by Ohio State's Je'Kel Foster vs. Iowa State (Dec. 17, 2005).
   UNI set the Wells Fargo Arena record for field goal percentage (58.0) vs. Iowa State. The previous record of 55.2 percent was set by Creighton vs. Iowa (Nov. 20, 2011).

COACH JAKE'S SUCCESS AGAINST IOWA STATE
UNI head coach Ben Jacobson improved his mark to 6-2 all-time vs. the Iowa State Cyclones.
   Both of Jacobson's losses to Iowa State have come in overtime.

Jacobson vs. Iowa State
W, 70-57 vs. Iowa State (11/29/06)
W, 61-48 at Iowa State (11/27/07)
L, 71-66 (OT) vs. Iowa State (12/3/08)
W, 63-60 at Iowa State (12/2/09)
W, 60-54 vs. Iowa State (12/1/10)
W, 69-62 at Iowa State (11/30/11)
L, 91-82 (OT) vs. Iowa State (12/7/13)
W, 81-79 vs. Iowa State (12/19/15)

80 OR MORE IS A GOOD SIGN - UNLESS IT'S OT
UNI is 38-5 when scoring 80 or more points in the Ben Jacobson coaching era.
   Four of the five losses have occurred in overtime games.
   The only time UNI has given up more than 80 points in regulation and lost under Coach Jake came in the 2013-14 season when Indiana State posted an 87-81 win over the Panthers on Feb. 1, 2014.

UNI SCORING 80+IN JACOBSON ERA
Date   Opponent    Results
12/19/15   vs. Iowa State   W, 81-79
11/30/15   North Texas   W, 93-70
11/28/15   at North Dakota   W, 97-51
11/25/15   Dubuque   W, 83-63
2/11/15   Illinois State   W, 83-64
12/13/14   at VCU   L, 93-87 (2OT)
2/1/14   Indiana State   L, 87-81
1/29/14   Evansville   W, 95-81
1/25/14   at Loyola   L, 93-87 (OT)
1/14/14   Missouri State   W, 94-89
1/8/14   at Evansville   W, 80-53
1/1/14   Bradley   W, 80-46
12/28/13   Iona   W, 90-78
12/7/13   vs. Iowa State   L, 91-82 (OT)
11/22/13   Loyola Marymount   W, 90-81
11/11/13   Coe   W, 86-52
3/26/13   Bradley   W, 90-77
3/2/13   Illinois State   W, 80-72
1/20/13   Drake   W, 85-55
1/12/13   Bradley   W, 84-53
12/23/12   Saint Mary's   W, 82-75
12/8/12   at George Mason   W, 82-77 (OT)
11/14/12   Toledo   W, 84-81 (OT)
11/10/12   Wartburg   W, 103-50
1/7/12   at Drake   W, 83-68
12/19/11   Loras   W, 84-48
12/6/11   Iowa   W, 80-60
12/3/11   Colorado State   W, 83-77
3/15/11   Rider     W, 84-50
2/15/11     at Bradley     W, 80-70
1/9/11     Bradley     W, 83-77
11/16/10   Coe     W, 84-45
1/3/10     Missouri State     W, 84-76
12/12/09   Siena     W, 82-65
11/23/09    vs. Boston College W, 81-69
2/11/09     Southern Illinois     W, 81-55
1/17/09     at Drake     W, 81-59
12/28/08     Indiana State     L, 85-84 (2OT)
11/25/08     Chicago State     W, 81-70
12/15/07     Wartburg     W, 99-48
12/20/06     Wartburg     W, 83-61
12/09/06     UMKC     W, 85-53
11/13/06    vs. Pepperdine     W, 83-58

200 WINS FOR JAKE
With the Panthers's 83-63 win over Dubuque, UNI head coach Ben Jacobson became only the ninth coach in the illustrious history of the Missouri Valley Conference to earn 200 victories.
   Jacobson has posted a career mark of 204-108 in his 10th season at the helm of the UNI men's basketball program.

MVC Coaching Victories
1.    Henry Iba (Oklahoma State)   486
2.    Eddie Hickey (Creighton/St. Louis)   337
3.    Dana Altman (Creighton)   327
4.   Rich Herrin (Southern Illinois)   225
5.   Ralph Miller (Wichita State)   220
6.   Barry Hinson (Missouri State/SIU)   219
7.   Maury John (Drake)   211
8.   Gregg Marshall (Wichita State)   209
9.   Ben Jacobson (UNI)   204
10.   Joe Stowell (Bradley)               197

PANTHERS TABBED THIRD IN MVC PRESEASON POLL
UNI has been slotted to finish third in the preseason 2014-15 Missouri Valley Conference poll.

MVC Preseason Poll
School (First-Place Votes) Total
1.    Wichita State (42)       429
2.    Evansville       350
3.    UNI       336
4.    Illinois State       323
5.    Loyola (1)       267
6.    Indiana State       218
7.    Drake       165
8.    Missouri State       127
9.    Southern Illinois       101
10.    Bradley       49

UNI MBB IN APR TOP-10 PERCENT
The University of Northern Iowa men's basketball, men's golf, women's golf, women's cross country and women's volleyball teams have been recognized by the NCAA for their latest multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores. These teams posted multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports.
   The UNI men's basketball team has been recognized with a perfect APR score (1,000) in each of the last three seasons - the only MVC school to do that in each of the past three years.
   The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team's academic performance.

RADIO INFORMATION
This year's UNI men's basketball games can be heard on the UNI Sports Radio Network, with KXEL (1540 AM, Waterloo, Iowa) serving as flagship station. Affiliates include KBGG (1700 AM, Des Moines), KGYM (1600 AM, Cedar Rapids), KCHA (1580 AM, Charles City), KQCR (98.9 FM, Hampton), KILJ (105.5 FM, Mount Pleasant), KFXE (1160 AM, Decorah-Waukon) and KVFD (1400 AM, Fort Dodge).
   Long-time Panthers announcer Gary Rima handles play-by-play duties, while Kevin Boyle serves as analyst. Head coach Ben Jacobson's weekly radio call-in show will air on Thursdays, beginning in December at 6 p.m., live from The Other Place in Cedar Falls.

FOLLOW THE PANTHERS ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER & YOUTUBE
Fans of UNI Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube will have access to updates, score recaps and special announcements.
   UNI Athletics on Facebook will give fans the chance to connect with other Panther fans, as well as providing information on upcoming events. Followers on Twitter will be able to access news and scoring updates. Followers on YouTube will be able to access game highlights and press conference footage.

FACEBOOK
www.facebook.com/UNIAthletics
www.facebook.com/UNIMensBasketball

TWITTER
www.twitter.com/UNIAthletics
www.twittercom/UNIMBB

YOUTUBE
www.youtube.com/UNIAthletics

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