University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Loyola-Chicago
Panthers Top Loyola, 80-73
12/4/2004 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2004
Chicago, Ill. - A balanced scoring effort, as five players reached double figures, lifted the University of Northern Iowa to an 80-73 win over Loyola University Chicago Saturday afternoon at the Gentile Center.
Guards Erik Crawford (Oakdale, Minn.) led the way with 19 points apiece for UNI. Freshman center Eric Coleman (Maplewood, Minn.) had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Grant Stout (New Sharon, Iowa) had his third double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 boards. Senior Chris Foster (Ironton, Mo.) came off the bench to score 10 points, all in the first half.
The teams went back and forth for much of the first half, with Loyola holding a 31-27 advantage with four minutes left in the opening stanza, before Foster sparked the Panthers. He hit a pair of threes in that final four minutes, helping UNI open a 41-36 edge at intermission. Jacobson's three-pointer at the buzzer accounted for the score heading into the locker room.
The opening minutes of the second half saw UNI go on a 15-4 run to extend to a 56-40 lead with 15 minutes remaining. The Panthers continued their success pounding the ball inside, as Coleman had two baskets and Stout had three during that stretch.
But Loyola would not go away. Led by guard DaJuan Gouard - who had a game-high 27 points - the Ramblers went on a 19-2 run to take a 61-60 lead with 7:07 left. The team's traded the lead several times during the last seven minutes, but UNI took the lead for good, 71-70, on a 15 foot jumper by Jacobson with 2:08 remaining. That keyed a 6-0 run that gave the Panthers a 75-70 edge with less than a minute remaining, and the Panthers hit seven of eight free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
The Panthers shot 56 percent from the field for the game (31-for-55), and outrebounded the Ramblers 43 to 24. Loyola shot 46 percent for the game (29-for-63).
UNI improves to 3-1 on the season, while Loyola falls to 2-4. The Panthers' next game is Tuesday, Dec. 7 when they travel to Iowa City, Iowa, to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Tipoff from Carver-Hawkeye Arena is set for 7:05 p.m.
