University of Northern Iowa
Southern Illinois
UNI Rides O'Rear, Ahelegbe to 72-52 Victory Over Southern Illinois
1/15/2011 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team used a career-high 18 points from Lucas O'Rear and a game-high 21 points from Kwadzo Ahelegbe to tally a 72-52 Missouri Valley Conference victory over the Southern Illinois Salukis in the McLeod Center.
UNI (13-6 overall, 4-3 MVC) opened up a 16-6 lead with 12:40 left in the first half and never looked back. Southern Illinois (9-9 overall, 3-4 MVC) cut the margin to eight points on two occasions in the first half but could get no closer.
SIU's John Freeman drained a free throw with 1:36 left in the first half to trim the Panther lead to nine at 27-18. But the Panthers scored the final six points of the half and the margin was boosted to 15 points at intermission, 33-18.
"That was a key point in the game when we scored on those final two possessions of the first half to give us some momentum and keep the lead in double figures," UNI head coach Ben Jacobson said.
The lead never dipped below 11 points in the second half, while the Panthers continued to get great looks in the paint. UNI outscored SIU in the paint, 24-8.
The Panthers also shot the ball well - a season-best 58.5 percent for the game. UNI shot 9-of-18 (50 percent) in the first half and then poured in 15-of-23 (65.2) in the second half.
O'Rear also added 10 rebounds to register his second career double-double. Jake Koch also stuffed the stat sheet with seven points, seven assists and five rebounds.
UNI will travel to Wichita, Kan., on Wednesday to take on the Wichita State Shockers in Koch Arena. Tip is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on the Missouri Valley Conference television package.
NOTES: UNI has won 24 of its last 25 games in the McLeod Center and is 9-1 this season ... UNI avenged a 57-55 loss to SIU on Jan. 1 in Carbondale, Ill. ... Ahelegbe tied a career-high by making three 3-pointers ... UNI outrebounded SIU, 26-25.
