University of Northern Iowa
Illinois State
UNI Holds Illinois State in Check, 46-44
1/12/2011 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NORMAL, Ill. - The University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team picked up its first road win of the Missouri Valley Conference season with a 46-44 victory over the Illinois State Redbirds.
UNI (12-6 overall, 3-3 MVC) used a 9-2 run in the final 6:08 of the game to come back for the two-point victory. Illinois State (8-9 overall, 0-6 MVC) led 42-37 following a jumper from Austin Hill with 6:08 on the clock. But UNI's Anthony James hit a jumper with 5:26 on the clock to cut it to three and then Jake Koch buried a 3-pointer to knot the game at 42-42 with 4:35 remaining.
James then hit two more baskets at the 3:32 mark and the 2:30 mark to finish the scoring for the Panthers. UNI held Illinois State scoreless over the final 3:06 after the Redbirds' Jackie Carmichael hit a jumper from the left baseline.
UNI had a chance to ice the game with 10.8 seconds left but James missed the front end of a 1-and-1 to give Illinois State one more shot at the win. Fortunately for the Panthers, Anthony Cousin's 3-pointer bounced off the rim and Lucas O'Rear snared the rebound to clinch the triumph.
"Our guys are committed to guarding and rebounding and that gives us a chance to win games," UNI head coach Ben Jacobson said afterward. "We were trying to switch screens on the final play and I didn't convey that to our guys well enough. They got a look and at that point you just hope it doesn't go in. But our guys did a good job of defending all night - especially in the final six minutes."
The Panthers started the game a little chilly from the field and made only two of its first 13 shots from the field. As a result, the Redbirds opened up a 9-4 lead following a bucket from forward Blake Mishler.
But the Panther offense started heating up, which led to a 17-2 run. The Panthers made their first five shots of the run and turned the five-point deficit into a 21-11 lead with 6:12 left before intermission. Junior guard Johnny Moran capped the spurt with a 3-pointer from the right wing.
UNI was led in scoring by Koch with 13 points. James also scored 10 points. O'Rear grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and chipped in with eight points.
The Panthers will return home for a matchup Saturday against the Southern Illinois Salukis. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the McLeod Center. UNI will be looking to avenge a 57-55 loss to SIU on New Year's Day.
NOTES: UNI has led at the half in 15 of its 18 games this season ... UNI has made at least one 3-pointer in 343 straight games .. it marked the 20th time under coach Jacobson that the Panthers had held an opponent to less than 50 points ... UNI is 19-1 when holding the opposition to less than 50 points in the Jacobson era ... UNI only turned the ball over four times in the contest, including only one in the second half.
