University of Northern Iowa
*Drake
McKowen's Free Throw Gives UNI 61-60 Win over Drake
2/16/2005 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 16, 2005
Cedar Falls, Iowa - Sophomore point guard Brooks McKowen (Fairbank, Iowa) hit a free throw with no time left to give the University of Northern Iowa a 61-60 win over Drake Wednesday night at the UNI-Dome.
With the game tied at 60 and the game clock winding down, McKowen received the ball near the right corner and drove baseline. His floater from 10 feet missed, but he was fouled in the act of shooting by Klayton Korver as the final horn sounded. After missing the first free throw, McKowen calmly drained the second -- his only point of the night -- to give the Panthers the win.
UNI led 58-54 with 1:33 left, after sophomore forward Grant Stout (New Sharon, Iowa) connected on a pair of free throws. Drake's Chris Bryant answered with a three-pointer from the right wing to pull the Bulldogs within one, 58-57.
The Panthers called timeout and got the ball to Ben Jacobson (Sioux City, Iowa), who drove to the left baseline and hit a 10-foot fade-away jumper with 48 seconds left to give UNI a 60-57 lead.
Drake missed on the ensuing possession, but UNI turned the ball over with 17 seconds left. The Bulldogs capitalized, as Chaun Brooks hit a contested three-pointer from the left wing with 11 seconds left, tying the game at 60-all and setting up McKowen's heroics.
Stout and Erik Crawford (Oakdale, Minn.) each had 12 points to lead UNI in scoring, while Jacobson added 11. Korver led Drake with 12 points.
With the win, UNI improves to 18-8 overall, 9-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Drake falls to 8-15, 4-11 in league play. The Panthers next game is this Saturday (Feb. 19), as they go out of conference to host Western Michigan at 3:05 p.m. on Bracket Buster Saturday. That game will be televised by ESPN2.
