University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Illinois State
Koch's Putback Lifts UNI to 69-67 Double Overtime Win at Illinois State
2/24/2009 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 24, 2009
Normal, Ill. - Adam Koch's layup as the final horn sounded gave the University of Northern Iowa a 69-67 double-overtime win over Illinois State Tuesday night at Redbird Arena.
With the score tied at 67 and the shot clock off at the end of the second overtime, UNI freshman guard Johnny Moran drove the lane with five seconds left. He got to the rim, missing a contested layup. But Koch was there on the weak side and grabbed the rebound, releasing his putback attempt just before the buzzer sounded, and it went through the net to give UNI the hard-fought 69-67 win.
Koch led all players with 25 points, with 10 of them coming after regulation time ended. He was joined in double-figure scoring by Jordan Eglseder who had 11 points, while Travis Brown came off the bench to score 10 points and grab seven boards. Illinois State was led by Brandon Sampay who had 19 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
UNI held a 29-28 lead at halftime, as Koch and Eglseder each had nine points for the Panthers in the first half. UNI moved in front, 33-30, as Kwadzo Ahelegbe and Eglseder scored on the Panthers' first two possessions out of the locker room. Illinois State then scored eight straight, including getting three-pointers from Emmanuel Holloway and Lloyd Phillips, to move in front 38-33.
After the Panthers got within one, 41-40, Illinois State moved back in front by five, 49-44, with 8:44 left, after Osiris Eldridge drained a three as the shot clock expired. But UNI got consecutive treys from Brown and Ali Farokhmanesh to regain the lead, 50-49. Koch hit two free throws to put UNI up 52-49 with 2:58 left, concluding an 8-0 Panthers run.
ISU's Champ Oguchi tied the game with a conventional three-point play, and then after Koch hit two more free throws, Oguchi gave ISU a 55-54 lead with 1:54 left in regulation with a three-pointer. UNI tied it at 55 with 54 seconds left on a Farokhmanesh free throw, and neither team scored again the rest of the way, as the game went to OT.
Sampay scored the first four points of the first overtime to give ISU a 59-55 lead. Koch then made 3-of-4 from the line to get UNI within 59-58, and after Eldridge made a free throw to put the Redbirds up by two, Koch tied the game at 60 with a 10 foot turnaround jumper. Oguchi then scored to put Illinois State in front by two with 43 seconds left. Farokhmanesh's three-point attempt from the left wing with 15 seconds left missed, but Brown grabbed the rebound and scored to tie the game at 62. Lucas O'Rear then blocked Lloyd Phillips' short baseline jumper and the game went to the second extra session.
Koch got the scoring started in the second OT with a three-pointer, but Oguchi tied the game at 65 with a triple of his own. O'Rear put UNI up with a hook shot in the lane with 1:47 left, and neither team scored on their next possessions. ISU's Holloway got free underneath for a layup with 25 seconds left to even the score at 67, setting up UNI's final shot and Koch's heroics.
UNI shot 44 percent from the field for the game, while holding Illinois State to just 38 percent shooting. Each team made eight three-point field goals, while UNI connected on 15 free throws, and Illinois State nine. The Panthers won the rebounding battle, 47-38.
With the win, UNI improved to 19-10 overall, 13-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference, while Illinois State fell to 22-7 overall, 11-6 in the Valley. UNI remained in a tie for first place in the MVC standings with Creighton, with one game left. The Panthers return home this Saturday night (Feb. 28), when they play host to Evansville in the regular-season finale. Tipoff from the McLeod Center is set for 7:35 pm.
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