University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Texas Southern
Moran Leads UNI to 74-67 Win Over Texas Southern
11/23/2008 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 23, 2008
Cedar Falls, Iowa - Freshman guard Johnny Moran had a career-high 21 points to lead the University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team to a 74-67 win over Texas Southern this afternoon at the McLeod Center.
Moran connected on 7-of-11 shots from the floor and was 6-for-8 on three-pointers, while grabbing five rebounds, dishing out two assists and getting a pair of steals. He was joined in double-figure scoring by junior forward Adam Koch (season-high 18 points), and sophomore guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe (career-best 11 points). Ahelegbe tied Moran and Travis Brown for high rebounding honors with five, while dishing out a team-high five assists. Texas Southern's Matthew Miller led all scorers with 28 points, including tying a McLeod Center record by making seven three-pointers.
Koch had a conventional three-point play and Moran nailed a trey from the corner to give UNI a 6-2 lead to start the game. The Tigers scored nine of the next 12 points to take an 11-9 lead with 12:28 left, but UNI responded by scoring nine straight to take the lead for good, 18-11, with 8:14 on the clock.
Miller hit a jumper in the lane to get TSU within 25-19 with slightly less than five minutes left in the first half, but UNI was able to extend its lead to double-digits, 33-23, on a jumper from Ahelegbe just before the first half horn.
Moran nailed a three to push the Panthers' lead to 38-27 three minutes into the second half, but Miller drained a pair of treys during an 8-2 run that got Texas Southern to its closest point in the second half, 40-35, with 14:37 left in the game. But UNI then went on a decisive 13-2 run over the next seven minutes, with Koch and Ahelegbe combining for eight of UNI's points during that stretch, as the Panthers extended their advantage to 53-37 with 7:51 remaining.
The Panthers held a double-digit lead much of the rest of the way, and although Miller made three three-pointers in the final minute to keep the Tigers in the game, UNI made 9-of-10 free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
UNI shot 44 percent from the field and made a season-best nine three-pointers, while turning the ball over a season-low eight times. Texas Southern shot 58 percent from the field (10-for-16 on threes), but was just 5-for-14 at the free throw line. UNI outrebounded Texas Southern, 30-26.
With the win, UNI improved to 2-1 on the season, while Texas Southern fell to 0-3. Today's game was the Panthers' first game in the Chicago Invitational Challenge. UNI will face Chicago State at the McLeod Center on Tuesday (Nov. 25) at 8:05 pm in the second game of the CIC, and will travel to Hoffman Estates, Ill., this weekend for the final two games. UNI will face 15th-ranked Marquette on Nov. 28 and Auburn on Nov. 29 at the Sears Centre.
