UNI Sweeps Evansville With 54-52 Road Victory

Saturday, February 27

Evansville, Ind.

1 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

19-12, 11-7MVC

Evansville

23-8, 12-6MVC

UNI

Evansville

UNI Sweeps Evansville With 54-52 Road Victory

2/27/2016 3:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The University of Northern Iowa won for the ninth time in 10 games and closed the regular season with a 54-52 road victory over the Evansville Purple Aces on Saturday at the Ford Center.

UNI (19-12 overall, 11-7 MVC) was led by senior Wes Washpun's 14 points, five assists, three blocks and three steals. Sophomore Klint Carlson added 10 points off the bench.

Evansville (23-8, 12-6 MVC) got a game-high 19 points from D.J. Balentine and another double-double from Egidijus Mockevicius with 14 points and 16 rebounds.

UNI jumped out to a 9-3 lead in the first five minutes of the contest. UNI used a 10-0 run to take a 23-12 lead with 3:42 left in the first half. UNI limited Evansville to only two made field goals in the final 11 minutes of the first half. UNI led 25-16 at the break.

The Panthers extended the lead to 12 points at 30-18 following a three-pointer from senior Paul Jesperson with 17:25 remaining in the game. Evansville stuck around and trimmed the lead to two at 44-42 with 4:04 left. But UNI senior guard Matt Bohannon drained his only triple of the game to extend the lead back to five at 47-42 with 3:36 on the clock.

UE's Adam Wing hit a three-pointer with 2:40 left to cut UNI's lead to 49-47, before Washpun sank a pair of free throws with 1:06 remaining to put the Panthers back up four.

Wing drained another triple with 52.4 left to make it a one-point game at 51-50. Washpun made two more free throws with 34.1 remaining to put UNI up three, 53-50.

Balentine made a shot in the lane with 16.9 left to pull UE back within one. Junior Jeremy Morgan made the first of two free throws to set up the final possession of the game.

UE took a timeout with 8.9 left in front of their bench. Balentine's three-point attempt was blocked by Washpun but Balentine recovered the rebound and passed to Mislav Brzoja as the clock wound down. Brzoja's three-pointer at the buzzer missed and UNI claimed the victory, 54-52.

UNI will be the No. 4 seed at the MVC Tournament and will take on No. 5-seeded Southern Illinois on Friday at 2:30 p.m. in St. Louis at Scottrade Center.

NOTES: UNI has finished in the top-four of the MVC standings for eight consecutive seasons ... UNI has made 256 three-pointers this year to rank as the fifth-best single-season total in program history ... UNI has held its last 10 opponents to less than 70 points ... UNI is 18-4 this year when holding the opposition to 70 or less.