University of Northern Iowa
Bradley
Bradley Tops UNI, 75-73
1/12/2008 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 12, 2008
Cedar Falls, Iowa - Despite 21 points from both Eric Coleman and Jared Josten, the University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team fell 75-73 to Bradley University Saturday night at the McLeod Center.
Coleman and Josten combined to make 13-of-19 shots from the field and 13-of-16 from the free throw line, with Josten making all three of his three-point attempts. Jordan Eglsder came off the bench to score 10 points for the Panthers. Bradley's Jeremy Crouch led all players with 28 points, including making 6 three-pointers.
UNI got off to a fast start, jumping to an 11-6 lead out of the gate, as Josten and Adam Viet each hit three-pointers in the opening minutes. Bradley responded with a 10-0 run to go in front 16-11. The Braves Andrew Warren hit consecutive threes to put BU in front, 22-15, but UNI went on a 10-0 run of its own to move in front, 25-22, with just over four minutes left in the first half. Coleman and Eglseder each had four points for the Panthers during that stretch. Crouch tied the game with a trey, and neither team led by more than two points the rest of the way to the first half buzzer, with Bradley holding a 36-34 edge at intermission.
BU scored eight points in the first minute and a half of the second half to open its largest lead of the game, 44-34. UNI pulled within two, 47-45, after a jumper from Josten, but Crouch hit another trifecta to push the Braves back in front, 52-45. Coleman responded by scoring four straight to pull UNI within 52-49 with 10 minutes left, but once again Crouch hit a deep trey to extend BU's lead back to six.
The Panthers got the game to within one possession numerous times in the last five minutes of the game, but each time, Bradley responded with a score. The Braves hit 9-of-10 free throws - including a perfect 8-for-8 effort from Crouch - in the final 2 and a half minutes to seal the victory.
UNI shot a season-high 55 percent from the field (24-for-44) and was 20-for-24 from the free throw line. The Panthers held Bradley to just 38 percent shooting (22-for-58), but the Braves were a sizzling 14-for-26 from three-point range (54 percent). Eight of Bradley's 10 second half field goals were from behind the arc.
Bradley snapped its six-game losing streak and improved to 8-9 overall, 1-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference, while UNI dropped its third straight game and fell to 10-6, 2-3. The Panthers host Creighton on Tuesday night at the McLeod Center. Tipoff is set for 6:00 pm and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN2.
