UNI Overcomes 18-Point Deficit to Defeat Oklahoma

Friday, November 18

Orlando, Fla.

6 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

3-0

Oklahoma

2-1

OT 1

UNI

Oklahoma

Klint Carlson - Big 4 Classic vs. Iowa State

UNI Overcomes 18-Point Deficit to Defeat Oklahoma

11/18/2016 10:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) Klint Carlson scored 22 points and ignited a second-half rally that carried Northern Iowa to a 73-67 overtime win over Oklahoma on Friday night in the winner's bracket of the Tire Pros Invitational.

Jeremy Morgan scored 17 points, had seven steals and four blocks and Jordan Ashton had 13 for the Panthers (3-0), who rallied from an 18-point second half deficit to win.

Jordan Woodard and Kristian Doolittle had 13 points apiece for Oklahoma (2-1), which had only one field goal in the final 11 minutes of regulation. Khadeem Lattin and Rashard Odomes contributed 11 points each.

''We accomplished a lot tonight with the way the guys stuck with it,'' Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson said. ''Everything had to go our way for us to have a chance. It was fun to see the guys get rewarded for making a couple of shots and making a game out of it ''

Carlson, who had 18 points in the last six minutes of regulation and overtime, nailed a 3-pointer from straight on to break a 64-all tie with 42.9 seconds left in overtime.

''I guess I was feeling it,'' Carlson said. ''I don't even remember how many shots I took, but at that point, I was just glad they were going in.''

The Panthers added two free throws to go ahead 69-64 before Woodard nailed a 3-pointer to make it a 69-67 game with 8.8 seconds to go.

Morgan iced the game with four free throws in the final six seconds.

UNI made five 3-pointers during a 26-5 run that erased an 18-point deficit in the second half. Carlson made three of the bombs, including the one that put UNI ahead 57-54 with 52 seconds left in the game.
''We didn't handle that run very well,'' Oklahoma coach Lon Krueger said. ''But as disappointing as this is, there was a lot to learn from this. Turnovers, value possessions, finish plays strong, those are all things we'll get better at.''

The Panthers pushed the edge to 59-54 with 27 seconds left in regulation before Sooners' forward Khadeem Lattin made two free throws and Doolittle hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 12.6 seconds left.
Ashton was off with a 3-pointer to win the game for UNI at the buzzer.

BIG PICTURE:
Oklahoma will love what it saw from the first 30 minutes. The Sooners used their size and strength advantage to build an 18-point advantage and looked like they would coast to an easy win. ''Lot of really good things at both ends of the floor in the first 30 minutes,'' Krueger said. ''Lot of bad things the last 15.''

The takeaway for Jacobson is that his team has a lot of heart. The Panthers were getting beat every which way, but still fought for every possession and were rewarded. ''We kept playing defense and rebounding when our offense was not very good and I like that,'' Jacobson said. ''And the other thing I like was that a relatively new group believed we could get all the way back.''

SAD START
Northern Iowa committed five turnovers and hit only three of its first 15 shots against Oklahoma. The Panthers shot 25.9 percent (7 of 27) for the first half, trailing 31-18. UNI came into the game shooting 51.8 percent and averaging just 11.5 turnovers a game.

UP NEXT
Northern Iowa plays Xavier Sunday night in the championship game of the tournament.
Oklahoma will take on Clemson for third-place Sunday afternoon.

2016 Tire Pros Invitational, Friday, November 18, 2016 Post-Game Quotes - Northern Iowa 73, Oklahoma 67 (OT)

Northern Iowa Head Coach Ben Jacobson - "I was having as much fun as anybody on our side, our fans and everybody watching and cheering for us on TV. A big part of it was how hard the guys were competing. Even in the first half we were fighting really hard to defend and to rebound.

"Obviously you want to win but at that point as a coach you can feel really good about the group of guys you have. Had we gotten beat in overtime or had they made a shot late in regulation, we had accomplished a lot tonight with the way they stuck with it.

"We went to that lineup with four guards and moving (Klint Carlson) to the center position. He's comfortable. The last month or two last year he was in that spot for us and he made a difference in that spot. That group did a good job putting pressure on Oklahoma and finding guys in the right spots. Everything had to go our way to get it where it got."

Northern Iowa forward Klint Carlson - "Coach drew up plays and put the ball in my hand and my teammates gave me the ball, put me in the right spots and I just had to make the plays. I guess I was feeling it. I don't really remember how many shots I took but at that point I was just happy they were going in. I was just focused on one goal, that was to win the game. It felt good to be able to make those shots and lift my team above the level we needed to be at."

Northern Iowa guard Jeremy Morgan - "Our defense and our rebounding were hiuge going down the stretch. If we don't get a couple of those stops going down to the end, if they get some scores it could have turned out a different way. We came through making big plays."

Oklahoma Head Coach Lon Kruger - "For 30 minutes, really a great job on both ends of the floor yet we didn't finish like we have to. Obviously Northern Iowa did a terrific job. They're capable of hitting 3s and they did that at a critical time and got back in the ballgame and took the lead. But we'll learn from it as disappointing as it is.

"It's a game that gives a lot of opportunities to learn – turnovers, valuing possessions and finishing plays strong, all those we'll get better at. When they made some 3s and got back into it, we didn't handle that very well, but all things to learn from, the good and the bad and certainly a lot of good in the first 30 and a lot of bad in the last 15.

"Give Northern Iowa credit. They competed really hard, they made some 3s and they got a little momentum going, their energy picked up and at that point we turned the ball over several times and didn't get shots on goal so that's never a good thing.

Oklahoma forward Kristian Doolittle - "Driving was my first option on the play but if they gave me space, I had the freedom to shoot the ball and that's what I did. We can become more mentally tough when adversity hits, not to drop our shoulders and pout, just keep going to the next play."