UNI Takes on Wyoming in MVC-MWC Challenge

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UNI (3-3) at Wyoming (4-2) | VIDEO | AUDIO | STATS
Sat., Dec. 3, 2016 • 2 p.m. (CT)
Laramie, Wyo. • Arena-Auditorium

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television
Campus Insiders/Twitter
Play-by-Play: Ari Wolfe
Analyst: Richie Schueler

Radio
Panther Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Rima
Analyst: Kevin Boyle
Flagship Station - NewsTalk 1540 KXEL
On the Web - www.UNIPanthers.com
TuneIn App

Stats
UNI.Statbroadcast.com

SERIES NOTES
All-Times Series: Wyoming leads 3-2
• Last Meeting: UNI 71, Wyoming 54 (March 20, 2015)
• UNI has won the last two meetings between the schools, including the last matchup in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament in Seattle, Wash.

UNI MEN'S BASKETBALL STORYLINES
• UNI (3-3 overall) will take part in the 2016 Missouri Valley/Mountain West Challenge Saturday against the Wyoming Cowboys (4-2 overall) in Laramie, Wyoming.

• UNI and Wyoming will be matching up for the sixth time. The last time these two met up came in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. UNI picked up a 71-54 victory over Wyoming and advanced to play Louisville for a spot in the Sweet 16.

• UNI has tallied a 3-2 mark in the Mountain West/Missouri Valley Challenge through the years. UNI has scored Challenge wins over Wyoming (2009), TCU (2010) and Colorado State (2011). UNI suffered its only Challenge losses at UNLV (2012) and at home to Colorado State (2015).

• The Panthers started the season with three straight wins and shot better than 40 percent in all three games. UNI has since lost three straight games and has not shot better than 37.5 percent in any of the three setbacks.

• Senior guard Jeremy Morgan, the preseason Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, leads the Panthers in scoring (14.7), rebounding (7.5), steals (3.8), blocks (2.3), three-pointers made (3.0) and free throws made (3.0).

• Morgan ranks No. 1 in the nation in steals per game (3.8).

UNI MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTES
UNI HITS THE ROAD FOR MVC/MWC CHALLENGE IN WYOMING
UNI (3-3 overall) will take part in the 2016 Missouri Valley/Mountain West Challenge Saturday against the Wyoming Cowboys (4-2 overall) in Laramie, Wyoming.

TV BROADCAST INFORMATION
Saturday's game will be broadcast on Campus Insiders as a part of the Mountain West Conference's streaming package. The game will also be broadcast via Twitter.
   Ari Wolfe and Richie Schueler will call the action.

WYOMING COWBOYS
The Wyoming Cowboys snapped a two-game losing streak Wedneday with an 82-70 win over the Denver Pioneers in Laramie.
   The Cowboys are a perfect 3-0 at home this season with victories over Western State (88-49), South Dakota State (77-67) and Denver (82-70).
   Wyoming's two losses came on the road at Pacific (73-65) and at California (71-61).
   The Cowboys are led in scoring by Justin James (17.7), Mason McManamen (14.5) and Alen Herndon (10.2).

ALL-TIME SERIES
Wyoming holds a 3-2 lead in the all-time series vs. UNI.
   UNI has won each of the last two meetings between the two schools including a 71-54 win in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at KeyArena in Seattle, Washington.
   Saturday will mark the second time UNI has met Wyoming in Laramie. The first meeting came in the 1989-90 season when Wyoming posted a 99-65 win over UNI.
   The teams also met in Casper, Wyoming, on Dec. 13, 2008, with the Cowboys scoring a 74-65 victory over the Panthers.

UNI IN MWC/MVC CHALLENGE
UNI has tallied a 3-2 mark in the Mountain West/Missouri Valley Challenge through the years.
   UNI has scored Challenge wins over Wyoming (2009), TCU (2010) and Colorado State (2011). UNI suffered its only Challenge losses at UNLV (2012) and at home to Colorado State (2015).

STREAKY PANTHERS
The Panthers started the season with three straight wins and shot better than 40 percent in all three games.
   UNI has since lost three straight games and has not shot better than 37.5 percent in any of the three setbacks.

LOW PERCENTAGE VS. MASON
UNI shot its lowest field goal percentage game at 25.9 percent in the 11-year history of the McLeod Center vs. George Mason (11/30).
   The previous low came when the Panthers shot 27.1 percent vs. Loyola in a 51-41 loss to the Ramblers on Jan. 16, 2016.
It was UNI's lowest shooting percentage in 147 games. The last time UNI shot a worse percentage came when the Panthers shot 25.5 percent against the Illinois State Redbirds in the quarterfinals of 2012 MVC Tournament (March 2, 2012).

LOWEST FIELD GOAL % UNDER JAKE
.239 at Indiana State (1/7/2011)
.255 vs. Illinois State (3/2/2012)
.259 GEORGE MASON (11/30/2016)
.271 LOYOLA (1/16/16)
.271 at Saint Mary's (11/14/2011)
.273 at Iowa (12/7/2010)
.273 at Syracuse (11/12/2010)
.275 SMU (3/21/2011)
.290 CREIGHTON (2/8/2009)

PANTHERS LOOK TO EVEN THE BATTLE OF THE BOARDS
UNI won the rebounding battle in its first two games, but has since been on the short end of that stat.
   Oklahoma won the rebounding battle by 10. Xavier scored a four-rebound edge in Orlando. The Muskeeters then scored a 22-point rebounding win in Cincinnati. George Mason enjoyed a +24 rebounding margin in the McLeod Center Wednesday.
   George Mason set a McLeod Center record with 53 rebounds.

STILL DEFENSIVE
UNI ranks No. 19 in the nation in scoring defense giving up 58.7 points per game.

MORGAN IS CARRYING THE LOAD
Senior guard Jeremy Morgan is carrying a big portion of the Panther stat sheet through five games.
   Morgan leads UNI in scoring (14.7 points/game), rebounding (7.5 rebounds/game), steals (23), blocks (14), field goals made (26), free throws made (18) and three-pointers made (18).
   Morgan ranks No. 2 in the nation in steals (3.83 steals/game).

MORGAN MOVING UP
THE DEFENSIVE CHARTS
Senior guard Jeremy Morgan, who earned a spot on last year's MVC All-Defensive squad, is making his way up the UNI defensive charts in regard to blocked shots and steals.
   Morgan ranks No. 7 at UNI in steals (151) and No. 9 in blocked shots (80).

BLOCKED SHOTS
1.   Grant Stout (2004-07           222
2.   Jake Koch (2009-13)           123
3.   Jordan Eglseder (2006-10)   120
4.   Sean Hawkins (1995-980       118
5.   Eric Coleman (2004-08)           115
6.   Seth Tuttle (2011-15)           95
7.   Jason Sims (1993-96)           90
8.   Scott Stafford (1984-85)           85
9.   Jeremy Morgan (2013-pres.)   80
10.   Steve Phyfe (1988-90)           66

STEALS
1.   Brent Carmichael (1981-83)   180
2.   Nick Nurse (1986-89)           165
3.   Andy Woodley (1998-02)   159
4.   Ben Jacobson (2002-06)           154
5.   Johnny Moran (2008-12)   152
6.   Jeremy Morgan (2013-pres.)   151
7.   Dale Turner (1988-92)           143
8.   Robbie Williams (1982-86)   140
9.   Brian Carpenter (1992-96)   138
10.   Darian DeVries (1994-98)   131
UNI'S 3-POINT STREAK
UNI has made at least one 3-pointer in 537 straight games – the longest active streak in the MVC.

COACH JAKE RANKS 7TH IN ALL-TIME MVC VICTORIES
UNI head coach Ben Jacobson has tallied 223 career wins to rank No. 7 in MVC history.

MVC Coaching Victories
1.    Henry Iba (Oklahoma State)   486
2.    Eddie Hickey (Creighton/St. Louis)   337
3.    Dana Altman (Creighton)   327
4.   Gregg Marshall (Wichita State)   234
   Barry Hinson (Missouri State/SIU)   234
6.   Rich Herrin (Southern Illinois)   225
7.   Ben Jacobson (UNI)   223
8.   Ralph Miller (Wichita State)   221
9.   Maury John (Drake)   211
10.   Joe Stowell (Bradley)   197

WINNING TRADITION IN
MCLEOD CENTER
UNI will be playing its 11th season in the McLeod Center and the Panthers have made winning a priority in their home venue.
   UNI has posted an all-time mark of 125-32 (.796) in games played in the McLeod Center.
   UNI secured a school-record 16 home wins in the 2012-13 season.
   UNI has posted a trio of perfect home seasons since moving to NCAA Division I. UNI was a perfect 14-0 in both the 1983-84 and 2009-10 seasons and then UNI notched a 15-0 mark at home in 2014-15.
   UNI set its home-court win streak of 21 consecutive victories between the 2008-09 and 2010-11 seasons.
   The McLeod Center opened in November 2006.

11 HOME WINS IN 9 STRAIGHT YRS
UNI has won 11 or more home games in the McLeod Center in nine consecutive seasons.

UNI's Home Record Since 2007-08
Year   Record
2007-08   11-6
2008-09   11-4
2009-10   14-0
2010-11   13-5
2011-12   13-3
2012-13   16-4
2013-14   11-2
2014-15   15-0
2015-16   11-3
2016-17   1-1

AMONG THE ELITE
UNI is one of 13 teams to have won at least one game in the NCAA Tournament and accumulate 54 combined wins over the past two seasons.
   The elite list of squads include UNI, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oregon, Villanova, Wichita State, Wisconsin and Virginia.

20-WIN SEASONS
UNI has had 12 20-win seasons in program history – 10 of those 20-win seasons have come since 2003-04.

PROTECTING THE HOME COURT
UNI has won 11 or more home games in the McLeod Center in nine consecutive seasons.

BOOK IT IN THE UPPER HALF
UNI's streak of 13 straight upper-half finishes in the MVC is the league's longest active streak.

NINE OR MORE MVC WINS
The Panthers have won nine or more MVC games in each of the past 13 seasons – also the MVC's longest active streak.

TOP-FOUR FINISHES IN MVC
UNI has finished in the top four of the MVC standings in eight consecutive seasons.

EIGHT NCAA TRIPS FOR UNI
UNI made its eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season. The Panthers are 5-8 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

UNI's All-Time NCAA Tourney Results
1990 - W, 74-71 vs. #3 Missouri
1990 - L, 84-81 vs. #6 Minnesota
2004 - L, 65-60 vs. #3 Georgia Tech
2005 - L, 57-52 vs. #6 Wisconsin
2006 - L, 54-49 vs. #7 Georgetown
2009 - L, 61-56 vs. #5 Purdue
2010 - W, 69-66 vs. #8 UNLV
2010 - W, 69-67 vs. #1 Kansas
2010 - L, 59-52 vs. #5 Michigan State
2015 - W, 71-54 vs. #12 Wyoming
2015 - L, 66-53 vs. #4 Louisville
2016 - W, 75-72 vs. #6 Texas
2016 - L, 92-88 (2OT) vs. #3 Texas A&M

7TH NCAA APPEARANCE SINCE 2004
The Panthers made their seventh NCAA appearance since the 2004 season. The seven appearances since 2004 is the most of any member of the MVC in that time frame.
   Wichita State has appeared in six NCAA Tournaments since 2004, to rank second in the MVC behind the Panthers.

MVC'S NCAA Appearances Since 2004
UNI (7) - 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016
Wichita St. (6) - 2006, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Southern Illinois (4) - 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Creighton (4) - 2005, 2007, 2012, 2013
Indiana State (1) - 2011
Drake (1) - 2008
Bradley (1) - 2006

IN THE UPPER HALF
UNI has finished in the upper half of the Missouri Valley Conference's final standings in 13 straight seasons. It is the longest active streak in the league.
   Prior to the 2003-04 season, when the current streak began, UNI had finished in the top half of the MVC on two occasions (1993-94 - 5th, 1996-97 - 4th) since joining the league in 1991-92.

13 STRAIGHT YEARS OF 9 OR MORE MVC WINS
UNI has won nine or more MVC games in 13 consecutive seasons - the longest active streak in the league.
   Wichita State has the second longest active streak at seven.

UNI in the MVC Since 2003-04
2003-04 - 12-6 (T-2nd)
2004-05 - 11-7 (T-3rd)
2005-06 - 11-7 (T-5th)
2006-07 - 9-9 (5th)
2007-08 - 9-9 (T-5th)
2008-09 - 14-4 (T-1st)
2009-10 - 15-3 (1st)
2010-11 - 10-8 (T-4th)
2011-12 - 9-9 (T-3rd)
2012-13 - 11-7 (3rd)
2013-14 - 10-8 (3rd)
2014-15 - 16-2 (2nd)
2015-16 - 11-7 (T-4th)

DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Jeremy Morgan is tied for the MVC lead in double-doubles this season with two.
   Morgan went for 20 points and 12 rebounds in an 82-63 win over Arizona State. Morgan then notched 20 points and 11 rebounds vs. Xavier.
   His only previous double-double before this season came in the 2016 NCAA Tournament vs. Texas A&M with 36 points and 12 rebounds.

UNI MBB IN APR TOP-10 PERCENT
The UNI men's basketball, men's golf, women's golf, women's cross country and women's volleyball teams have been recognized by the NCAA for their latest multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores. These teams posted multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports.
   The UNI men's basketball team has been recognized with a perfect APR score (1,000) in each of the last four seasons - the only MVC school to do that in each of the past three years.
   The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team's academic performance.

UNI SIGNS PHYFE TO NLI
UNI head men's basketball coach Ben Jacobson announced the signing of Austin Phyfe (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock HS) to a National Letter-of-Intent to play for the Panthers beginning in 2017-18.
   Phyfe (6'9", 235 lbs., Forward) is the No. 2 recruit in the state of Iowa, according to IowaPreps.com. He earned second-team all-state honors from the Iowa Newspaper Association as a junior for head coach Nate Stegge. Phyfe notched third-team all-state accolades as a sophomore. Phyfe is a three-time all-Northeast Iowa Conference pick, including a pair of first-team honors the past two seasons. Phyfe averaged 14.5 points, grabbed 8.4 rebounds and shot 64 percent from the field in leading Waverly-Shell Rock to an 18-6 record in 2015-16. Phyfe scored 13.7 points and grabbed 7.9 rebounds as a sophomore in helping the GoHawks to a 22-3 record and a berth into the state tournament. As a freshman, he helped the GoHawks the state tournament and into the semifinals. Phyfe played AAU for the Iowa Barnstormers.
    He is the son of Steve and Lisa Phyfe. His father, Steve, played basketball for the Panthers from 1987-1990. His sister, Aftin, is a member of the UNI swimming and diving team.

UNI TO PLAY IN 2017 BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS
Celebrating its seventh year of elite collegiate tournament play, the 2017 Battle 4 Atlantis will include Villanova, Arizona, Purdue, North Carolina State, Tennessee, Southern Methodist, Western Kentucky and UNI.
   The 2017 early season tournament field boasts a combined 16 Final Four appearances and five National Championships between the field. The annual Battle 4 Atlantis once again falls during the Thanksgiving holiday, scheduled to take place November 22-24, 2017. The 12-game, three-day tournament is regarded as one of the most challenging early-season tournaments.
   It will mark UNI's second appearance in the Battle 4 Atlantis. UNI also took part in the tournament in the 2012 Battle 4 Atlantis as the Panthers played Louisville, Stanford and Memphis.

RADIO INFORMATION
This year's UNI men's basketball games can be heard on the UNI Sports Radio Network, with KXEL (1540 AM, Waterloo, Iowa) serving as flagship station. Affiliates include KBGG (1700 AM, Des Moines), KGYM (1600 AM, Cedar Rapids), KQCR (98.9 FM, Hampton), KILJ (105.5 FM, Mount Pleasant), KFXE (1160 AM, Decorah-Waukon) and KVFD (1400 AM, Fort Dodge).
   Long-time Panthers announcer Gary Rima handles play-by-play duties, while Kevin Boyle serves as analyst. Head coach Ben Jacobson's weekly radio call-in show will air on Thursdays, beginning in December at 6 p.m., live from The Other Place in Cedar Falls.

FOLLOW THE PANTHERS ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER & YOUTUBE
Fans of UNI Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube will have access to updates, score recaps and special announcements.
   UNI Athletics on Facebook will give fans the chance to connect with other Panther fans, as well as providing information on upcoming events. Followers on Twitter will be able to access news and scoring updates. Followers on YouTube will be able to access game highlights and press conference footage.

FACEBOOK
www.facebook.com/UNIAthletics
www.facebook.com/UNIMensBasketball

TWITTER
www.twitter.com/UNIAthletics
www.twittercom/UNIMBB

YOUTUBE
www.youtube.com/UNIAthletics

INSTAGRAM
www.instagram.com/UNIAthletics

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