University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Illinois State
UNI Secures No. 3 Seed With 80-72 Win Over Illinois State
3/2/2013 1:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team locked up the No. 3 seed in the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament with an 80-72 win over the Illinois State Redbirds on Saturday at the McLeod Center.
UNI improved to 18-13 overall and 11-7 in the Missouri Valley
Conference. UNI will be the No. 3 seed in the MVC Tournament and will
match up on Friday at 8:30 p.m. against the No. 6-seeded Illinois State
Redbirds (17-14 overall, 8-10 MVC).
UNI was led by three of its seniors against Illinois State. Anthony
James scored 19 points, Marc Sonnen tallied 18 points and Jake Koch
added 18 points. Koch and sophomore Seth Tuttle each tallied
double-doubles. Koch had 18 points and 11 rebounds. Tuttle tallied 15
points and tied a career-high with 12 rebounds.
Illinois State led 19-8 with 14:18 left in the first half. UNI took
its first lead of the game at 28-26 on a 3-pointer from James with 3:12
left in the first half. UNI would not relinquish the lead the rest of
the way.
UNI led by as many as 12 points in the second half at 49-37.
UNI enjoyed a 42-26 advantage in rebounding (including a season-high 19 offensive rebounds).
Illinois State's Tyler Brown scored a game-high 28 points.
NOTES: UNI has won 18 or more games in 10 straight seasons ... UNI honored its four seniors (Anthony James, Jake Koch, Austin Pehl and Marc Sonnen) prior to the game ... Sonnen set the UNI single-season 3-pointers made record (82) ... Erik Smith had set the single-season mark with 79 in the 2001-02 season ... UNI has swept 23 MVC opponents since the start of the 2006-07 season and it marks the fourth such sweep of the Redbirds as well ... Illinois State is 0-7 in the McLeod Center and has lost nine straight games in Cedar Falls ... Sonnen has started 134 games and will tie Johnny Moran for the UNI career games played mark in the quarterfinals of the MVC Tournament ... Jake Koch ranks T-No. 3 on the UNI games played list with Kwadzo Ahelegbe at 133 ... it marks the first time UNI will be the No. 3 seed in the MVC Tournament.
