University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Missouri State
Koch's 30-Point Effort Leads UNI to 78-69 Win at Missouri State
1/25/2009 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 25, 2009
Springfield, Mo. - Junior forward Adam Koch scored a career-high 30 points to lead the University of Northern Iowa to its eighth-straight win, a 78-69 victory at Missouri State Sunday night. The win improved UNI to 14-6 overall, and in first place in the Missouri Valley Conference with an 8-1 league mark. Missouri State fell to 9-11 overall, 2-7 in the Valley.
Koch hit 6-of-8 shots from the field and was an amazing 18-for-20 at the free throw line. The 18 free throws made was not only a career best for Koch, but was just one short of the UNI school record of 19, set by Bill McCoy vs. Bemidji State in 1970. UNI made a season-best 30 free throws as a team (in 36 attempts) tonight against the Bears.
Koch was joined in double figure scoring by sophomore guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe who had 12 points, while forward Lucas O'Rear (9 points, eight rebounds, two assists) and center Jordan Eglseder (eight points, six rebounds, three assists) each had solid games inside for the Panthers. UNI held a 24-14 advantage of Missouri State in points in the paint.
O'Rear scored and was fouled, converting the three-point play, to give UNI a 10-8 lead with 14:34 on the clock in the first half. After the Bears pulled even at 10, Travis Brown hit a 12-foot jumper and Ali Farokhmanesh drained a deep three-pointer from the left wing to put the Panthers in front 15-10.
UNI maintained a slight lead until MSU's Spencer Laurie hit a three-pointer to put the Bears in front, 25-24, with 4:40 left before halftime. But that was the last time Missouri State would score before the half ended, as the Panthers ended the first 20 minutes on a 12-0 run. Eglseder had a pair of layups, and Farokhmanesh hit his second three with under a minute to go during that run, as UNI entered the locker room with a 36-25 lead.
Koch scored UNI's first eight points to start the second half, as the Panthers extended their advantage to 44-32 with 16:26 left in the game. UNI maintained a double-digit lead until MSU's Wade Knapp drained a jumper from the elbow to pull the Bears within 48-39 with 11:38 remaining.
Eglseder answered with an offensive put-back on UNI's next possession, and that started the Panthers on a decisive 19-6 run over the next five minutes, as they put the game out of reach. Six different UNI players scored during that stretch, with O'Rear (six points) and Koch (four) leading the way. After Brown drained a three from the left corner, the Panthers led 68-45 with just under six minutes left. Missouri State made five three-pointers down the stretch to cut UNI's lead to single digits with under a minute to play, but UNI was able to salt the game away at the free throw line.
The Panthers' current eight-game winning streak is the team's longest since it also won eight straight during the 2003-04 season. UNI returns home to play host to second-place Illinois State (17-3, 6-3 MVC) on Wed., Jan. 28 at the McLeod Center, with tipoff set for 7:05 pm.
