University of Northern Iowa
Missouri State
UNI Scores 60-59 Win Over MVC-Leading Missouri State
1/30/2011 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Johnny Moran made two free throws with 5.2 seconds left and Missouri State's Adam Leonard missed a shot at the buzzer to give the University of Northern Iowa Panther men's basketball team a 60-59 win on Sunday night at JQH Arena.
UNI (17-6, 8-3 MVC) won its seventh straight game and was led in scoring by sophomore guard Anthony James's 17 points. Missouri State (17-5 overall, 9-2 MVC) was led by a game-high 18 points from Kyle Weems.
The Panthers trailed 52-44 with 10:08 to go in the game before rallying for the road win. UNI went on a 9-0 to take its first lead since 8-7 early in the contest. Senior forward Lucas O'Rear scored the first four points of the run, sophomore Jake Koch drained a triple out of the right corner and then James gave the Panthers the lead with 6:10 left in the game.
The lead would change hands eight times in the final 6:10 of the game as momentum swung in both directions.
MSU's Weems gave the Bears a 57-56 lead with 1:07 on the clock, but UNI's Koch scored on a bucket in the lane with 42.7 seconds left to put the Panthers back on top, 58-57. Weems, who had beaten the Panthers earlier this year on a 3-pointer in the closing seconds, drained an 18-foot jumper from the left corner with 18.2 seconds left to give the Bears the lead again to 59-58.
However, UNI would get the final score in this one as sophomore guard Marc Sonnen missed a 3-pointer from the top of the key, but Moran flew in and grabbed the rebound. Moran was fouled in the act of putting the rebound back up for a tip by Weems with 5.2 seconds left. Moran then calmly sunk both free throws.
The Bears called their final timeout and then inbounded the ball to Leonard who drove the length of the floor and tossed up a runner in the from the free throw line that bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded.
The Panthers will return home Wednesday to take on the Illinois State Redbirds at 7 p.m. in the McLeod Center.
NOTES: UNI is now 1-3 in games this season when trailing at the half ... UNI won its seventh straight MVC game for the third straight season, matching a mark set by Southern Illinois in 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05 ... Kwadzo Ahelegbe started his 96th straight game ... UNI improved to 30-16 in close games (five points or less) in the Ben Jacobson coaching era ... UNI and Missouri State have played three straight 1-point games with UNI winning two of thre three contests ... UNI came into the game ranked No. 2 in the nation in turnovers per game and turned the ball over 10 times ... only two men's/women's basketball teams in Division I basketball currently have two seven-game winning streaks - Xavier and UNI.
