University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Iowa State
Iowa State Edges UNI, 71-66, in Overtime
12/4/2008 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2008
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Cedar Falls, Iowa - UNI's Kwadzo Ahelegbe scored a career-high 18 points, and teammate Adam Koch had a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds, but Iowa State was able to escape with a 71-66 overtime win over the University of Northern Iowa at the McLeod Center. The back-and-forth game featured 14 ties and 16 lead changes, including five lead changes in overtime.
Kerwin Dunham had a season-high eight points and four rebounds for UNI, including tying the game at the end of regulation with a three-pointer from corner with five seconds left, while Jordan Eglseder had seven points and six boards. Iowa State's Craig Brackins led all players with 32 points and 16 rebounds, both McLeod Center records.
After Brackins gave ISU an 8-5 lead with a layup five minutes in, Ahelegbe tied the game with a three. Iowa State moved in front 14-10 on a three-pointer from Jamie Vanderbeken, but UNI scored seven of the next nine points, culminated by a Koch trey, to take a 17-16 lead with 11:07 left in the first half.
Iowa State pushed in front, 24-21, but UNI came back and took a 27-26 lead after a pair of Koch free throws. The teams then traded baskets in the final four minutes before halftime, with UNI taking a 33-31 lead into the locker room, as Koch scored late to break a 31-all tie.
Ahelegbe made a layup to put UNI up 35-31 to start the second half, but Brackins had two straight baskets to get the Cyclones square at 35-all. With the score even at 39-apiece, UNI scored seven of the next nine to open its largest lead, 46-41, with 13:23 left. But Iowa State responded, scoring 12 straight points - six by Brackins - to take a 53-46 lead with 6:52 remaining.
The Panthers answered with a deep three-pointer from Ali Farokhmanesh, followed by a Koch layup, to get within two, 53-51, with just over five minutes to go. After Brackins hit a pair of free throws, UNI freshman guard Johnny Moran hit an acrobatic layup and was fouled, completing the conventional three-point play, to get UNI within one. After a Moran steal, Dunham was fouled and made both free throws to put the Panthers in front, 56-55, with 3:35 on the clock.
ISU rattled off six straight points to pull ahead, 61-56, with a minute and a half left, but Farokhmanesh got UNI within two as he nailed a three from the wing. Diante Garrett then had a chance to ice the game as he was at the line for two free throws with 15 seconds left, but he made just one. Koch then found Dunham in the left corner, and he nailed his first three-pointer of the year to tie the game at 62-all and send it into the extra session.
After Garrett made one of two foul shots to start overtime, Ahelegbe gave UNI the lead back, 64-63, with a driving layup. Garrett scored to put ISU back in front, before Dunham made both free throws to give the Panthers a 66-65 lead with 3:27 on the clock. Garrett scored again to give the Cyclones the lead back, and UNI missed a three-pointer and a put-back attempt on its next possession. Garrett and Brackins each made free throws to increase ISU's lead to 69-66, and then Koch missed a three-pointer that would have tied the game with 14 seconds remaining. ISU's Bryan Petersen then sealed the game by making both foul shots with seven seconds left to give the Cyclones the 71-66 win.
For the game, Iowa State shot 46 percent from the field, while UNI connected on just 33 percent of its field goals. Both teams struggled from three-point range, as ISU was 2-for-14 and the Panthers were 6-for-32. UNI turned it over a season-low three times, including just one turnover in regulation.
Iowa State improved to 5-1 on the season, while UNI fell to 4-3. The Panthers are back in action on Sat., Dec. 6 at 3 pm, when they play host to the North Dakota Fighting Sioux at the McLeod Center.
