UNI Looks to Extend Winning Streak at SIU

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UNI (7-11, 2-5) at Southern Illinois (11-9, 4-3) | ESPN3 | AUDIO | STATS
Sat., Jan. 21, 2017 • 7 p.m. (CT)
Carbondale, Ill. • SIU Arena

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television
ESPN3
Play-by-Play: Darren Kinnard
Analyst: Mike Trude

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: SIU leads 32-28
• Last Meeting: UNI 66, SIU 60 (March 4, 2016)
• UNI won two of the three meetings last season vs. SIU, including a 66-60 triumph in the quarterfinals of the 2016 State Farm MVC Tournament.

UNI MEN'S BASKETBALL STORYLINES
• UNI (7-11 overall, 2-5 MVC) will look to extend its winning streak to three in a row with a 7 p.m. Saturday matchup in Carbondale, Ill., against the the Southern Illinois Salukis (11-9 overall, 4-3 MVC).

• Saturday's matchup between UNI and Southern Illinois at SIU Arena will feature two of the top winningest coaches in MVC history. SIU's Barry Hinson ranks No. 5 in league history in total coaching victories with 242, while UNI's Ben Jacobson ranks No. 6 with 227 wins.

• Junior Bennett Koch has scored 21 points in consecutive games while helping UNI to a pair of home victories. Koch is the first Panther to record back-to-back 20-point games since Seth Tuttle poured 23 points vs. Illinois State on Feb. 11, 2015 and then scored 22 points at Missouri State on Feb. 15, 2015.

• Over the last five games, senior guard Jordan Ashton is averaging 13.0 points per game and has reached double-figure scoring in each contest.Ashton is shooting 56.5 percent from beyond the three-point arc and 52.4 overall from the field in his last five games.

• Senior Jeremy Morgan, the preseason MVC player of the year, is the only player in the NCAA to average 10.0 points (16.6), 3.0 rebounds (6.7), 2.0 assists (3.1), 2.0 steals (2.3), 1.0 blocks (1.5) and 2.0 3-ptrs. made (2.2).

UNI MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTES AT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

PANTHERS LOOK TO CONTINUE TWO-GAME WIN STREAK AT SIU
UNI (7-11 overall, 2-5 MVC) will look to extend its winning streak to three in a row with a 7 p.m. Saturday matchup in Carbondale, Ill., against the the Southern Illinois Salukis (11-9 overall, 4-3 MVC).

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Saturday's game will be available for viewing on The Valley on ESPN3.
   Darren Kinnard (play-by-play) and Mike Trude (analyst) will call the contest.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS
The Salukis enter Saturday's game coming off an 88-84 overtime road loss at Drake.
   SIU is led in scoring by Mike Rodriguez (13.8 ppg), Armon Fletcher (13.5 ppg) and Sean O'Brien (11.5 ppg).
   SIU is 8-3 at home this season.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Southern Illinois owns a 32-28 lead over UNI in the all-time series.
   The Panthers took two of three last season from the Salukis, including the rubber match in the 2016 State Farm MVC Tournament in St. Louis. UNI posted a 66-60 win over SIU en route to the tournament championship.
   UNI head coach Jacobson is 16-7 against Southern Illinois since taking over as head coach. Jacobson has claimed four victories at SIU Arena.

TWO OF THE BEST VALLEY COACHES OF ALL-TIME
Saturday's matchup between UNI and Southern Illinois at SIU Arena will feature two of the top winningest coaches in MVC history.
   SIU's Barry Hinson ranks No. 5 in league history in total coaching victories with 242, while UNI's Ben Jacobson ranks No. 6 with 227 wins.
   If you factor in MVC games only, Hinson ranks No. 4 in league history with 128 conference wins. Jacobson ranks No. 7 with 116 MVC wins.
   Henry Iba tops both lists with 486 total wins and 187 league wins.

MVC Coaching Victories
1.    Henry P. Iba (Oklahoma State)   486
2.    Eddie Hickey (Creighton/St. Louis)   337
3.    Dana Altman (Creighton)   327
4.   Gregg Marshall (Wichita State)   246
5.   Barry Hinson (Missouri State/SIU)   242
6.   Ben Jacobson (UNI)   227
7.   Rich Herrin (Southern Illinois)   225
8.   Ralph Miller (Wichita State)   221
9.   Maury John (Drake)   211
10.   Joe Stowell (Bradley)   197

MVC Coaching Wins (Conf. Games Only)
1.    Henry P. Iba (Oklahoma State)    187
2.    Dana Altman (Creighton)    182
3.    Eddie Hickey (Creighton/St. Louis)    163
4.    Barry Hinson (Missouri State/SIU)    128
5.    Dr. F.C. Allen (Kansas)    126
6.   Gregg Marshall (Wichita State)    123
7.   Ben Jacobson (UNI)    116
8.    Rich Herrin (Southern Illinois)    111
9.    Jim Molinari (Bradley)    110
10.   Maurice John (Drake)    95

JACOBSON AGAINST THE LAND OF LINCOLN
Ben Jacobson has taken full advantage of the four schools representing the state of Illinois in the Missouri Valley Conference in his 11 seasons as UNI's head coach.
   He has an overall mark of 59-26 vs. Southern Illinois, Illinois State, Bradley and Loyola.

Jake Overall vs. MVC's Illinois Schools
Bradley    20-6
Illinois State    17-8
Southern Illinois   16-7
Loyola    6-5

BACK-TO-BACK 21-POINT GAMES
Junior Bennett Koch has scored 21 points in consecutive games while helping UNI to a pair of home victories.
   Koch went 8-for-8 from the field against Drake and scored a season-high 21 points in a 79-60 win.
   Koch followed up that effort with 21 points and nine rebounds in a 72-69 double-overtime triumph over Loyola on Wednesday.
   Koch is the first Panther to record back-to-back 20-point games since Seth Tuttle poured 23 points vs. Illinois State on Feb. 11, 2015 and then scored 22 points at Missouri State on Feb. 15, 2015.

Active 20-Plus Point Scoring Games
Jeremy Morgan (9)
Bennett Koch (3)
Klint Carlson (1)
Hunter Rhodes (1)

KOCHING THE BOARDS
Bennett Koch grabbed a season-high nine rebounds against Loyola, which also included a career-high five offensive rebounds.
   Koch had registered a previous career-high of three offensive rebounds in four games as a sophomore before his effort on Wednesday vs. the Ramblers.

ASHTON IS DOUBLING UP IN HIS LAST FIVE GAMES
Over the last five games, senior guard Jordan Ashton is averaging 13.0 points per game and has reached double-figure scoring in each contest.
   Ashton is shooting 56.5 percent from beyond the three-point arc and 52.4 overall from the field.
   Ashton has tallied five consecutive double-figure scoring games, including a career-high 17 points Sunday vs. Drake.

MCDONNELL OFF THE BENCH
Redshirt freshman Luke McDonnell has provided a spark off the bench in MVC play for the Panthers.
   McDonnell scored a career-high 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting in 16 minutes of action in a 72-69 double-overtime win over Loyola (1/18).
   McDonnell has played in six conference games and has scored 34 points (5.7 ppg).
   In the non-conference portion of the season, McDonnell played in five games and scored seven points.

WORKIN' OVERTIME
UNI moved to 2-0 in overtime games this season with a 72-69 double-overtime triumph over Loyola (1/18).
   UNI also posted a 73-67 overtime win over Oklahoma in the semifinals of the Tire Pros Invitational in Orlando on Nov. 18.
   Head coach Ben Jacobson is 11-8 all-time in overtime games.
   The 72-69 win over Loyola marked the first double-overtime victory for Jacobson after having dropped his three previous double-overtime games.

UNI's Overtime Games Since 2006
L, 67-64 at Illinois State (1/9/07)
W, 64-60 at UMKC (12/19/07)
W, 77-75 vs. Wichita State (2/13/08)
L, 71-66 vs. Iowa State (12/3/08)
L, 85-84 (2OT) vs. Indiana State (12/28/08)
W, 69-67 at Illinois State (2/24/09)
W, 60-57 vs. Illinois State (3/8/09)
W, 84-81 vs. Toledo (11/14/12)
W, 82-77 at George Mason (12/8/12)
L, 54-51 at Evansville (1/29/13)
L, 91-82 vs. Iowa State (12/7/13)
L, 93-87 at Loyola (1/25/14)
W, 79-77 at Stephen F. Austin (11/18/14)
W, 71-65 vs. George Mason (12/6/14)
L, 93-87 (2OT) at VCU (12/13/14)
W, 57-52 vs. Wichita State (3/5/16)
L, 92-88 (2OT) vs. Texas A&M (3/20/16)
W, 73-67 vs. Oklahoma (11/18/16)
W, 72-69 (2OT) vs. Loyola (1/18/17)

MORGAN RANKS AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
Senior Jeremy Morgan, the preseason MVC player of the year, is the only player in the NCAA to average 10.0 points (16.9), 3.0 rebounds (6.6), 2.0 assists (3.1), 2.0 steals (2.4) and 1.0 blocks (1.4).
   No NCAA player in the past 10 seasons has done the following for a season: 15.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 2.0 spg, 1.5 blocks, 2.0 3FGM/g, and only one has done that stat line in the past 20 seasons (Shane Battier of Duke in 1999-00).
   Morgan leads UNI in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, blocks, 3FGM, and FTM.

MORGAN NETS 1,000 POINTS
Jeremy Morgan became the 41st member of UNI's 1,000 point club at Evansville (1/1).
   Morgan has tallied 1,075 career points and ranks No. 31 on UNI's all-time scoring list.

UNI'S 1,000-POINT SCORERS SINCE 2001
Morgan became the 16th Panther to score 1,000 or more points since the start of the 2001 season – the first season that Ben Jacobson joined the coaching staff as an assistant. Jacobson took over the head job in the 2006-07 season.

1,000-Point Scorers Since 2001
Ben Jacobson (2003-06) 1,787 pts.
Seth Tuttle (2011-15) 1,747 pts.
Eric Coleman (2005-08) 1,522 pts.
Kwadzo Ahelegbe (2006-11) 1,329 pts.
Anthony James (2008-13) 1,305 pts.
Grant Stout (2004-07) 1,232 pts.
Deon Mitchell (2011-15) 1,200 pts.
Adam Koch (2006-10) 1,186 pts.
David Gruber (2002-04) 1,116 pts.
Jake Koch (2009-2013) 1,113 pts.
Matt Bohannon (2011-16.) 1,092 pts.
Jeremy Morgan (2013-pres.) 1,075 pts.
Jordan Eglseder (2006-10) 1,066 pts.
Johnny Moran (2008-12) 1,048 pts.
Wes Washpun (2013-16.) 1,035 pts.
Chris Foster (2000-05) 1,027 pts.

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. 2 at UNI in steals (168) and No. 8 in blocked shots (90).
   Morgan is looking to become only the second UNI player to tally 100 steals and 100 blocks in his career. The only previous Panther to achieve that feat was Jake Koch, who posted 118 steals and 123 blocks from 2009-2013.

STEALS - UNI (CAREER)
1.   Brent Carmichael (1981-83)   180
2.   Jeremy Morgan (2013-pres.)   168
3.   Nick Nurse (1986-89)   165
4.   Andy Woodley (1998-02)   159
5.   Ben Jacobson (2002-06)   154
6.   Johnny Moran (2008-12)   152
7.   Dale Turner (1988-92)   143
8.   Robbie Williams (1982-86)   140
9.   Brian Carpenter (1992-96)   138
10.   Darian DeVries (1994-98)   131

BLOCKED SHOTS - UNI (CAREER)
1.   Grant Stout (2004-0)   222
2.   Jake Koch (2009-13)   123
3.   Jordan Eglseder (2006-10)   120
4.   Sean Hawkins (1995-98)   118
5.   Eric Coleman (2004-08)   115
6.   Seth Tuttle (2011-15)   95
7.   Jason Sims (1993-96)   90
   Jeremy Morgan (2013-pres.)   90
9.   Scott Stafford (1984-85)   85
10.   Steve Phyfe (1988-90)   66

MORGAN KNOCKS DOWN TRIPLES TOO
Senior guard Jeremy Morgan can also knock down the three-point shot.
   Morgan has tallied 151 career three-pointers made to rank No. 9 all-time at UNI.

THREE-POINTERS MADE - UNI (CAREER)
1.   Matt Bohannon (2012-16)   268
2.   Ben Jacobson (2002-06)   203
3.   Johnny Moran (2008-12)   201
   Marc Sonnen (2009-13)   201
5.   Nick Nurse (1985-89)   170
6.   Darian DeVries (1994-98)   166
7.   Robbie Sieverding (1998-02)   157
8.   Ali Farohkmanesh (2008-10)   152
9.   Jeremy Morgan (2013-pres.)   151
10.   Maurice Newby (1987-91)   146

SCORING TRENDS
UNI is 7-1 when scoring 70 or more points this season. UNI's only loss when scoring 70 or more came in an 81-73 loss at Wyoming.
   The Panthers are 0-10 when scoring less than 70 points.

FOR STARTERS
UNI has used eight different starting lineups this season in its 18 games.
   UNI has had nine different players draw starts this season.

UNI's 2016-17 Starting Lineups
Carlson-McCloud-Morgan-Koch-Ashton (5)
Carlson-McCloud-Morgan-Koch-Lohaus (4)
Carlson-McCloud-Morgan-Koch-Haldeman (2)
Carlson-Morgan-Ashton-Koch-Haldeman (2)
Friedman-McCloud-Morgan-Brown-Haldeman (2)
Carlson-McCloud-Ashton-Koch-Haldeman (1)
Carlson-Friedman-McCloud-Morgan-Ashton (1)
Carlson-Friedman-McCloud-Morgan-Haldeman (1)

3-POINT TALK
UNI has made at least one 3-pointer in 549 straight games – the longest active streak in the MVC.

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 previous 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.

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.

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)

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

MVC's Dance Partners
Since the 2003-04 season, UNI and Wichita State have made the most appearances in the NCAA Tournament for the Missouri Valley Conference.
   The Panthers have made seven NCAA Tournament apperances since the 2003-04 season, while the Shockers have appeared in six NCAA tournaments in the same time frame.

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

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

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.

WEEKLY PRESS LUNCHEONS
UNI head coach Ben Jacobson or a member of his coaching staff will be available at the weekly Press Luncheons held each Monday beginning at noon in the back room of Pepper's Grill and Sports Pub located on 18th Street in Cedar Falls.

FOLLOW THE PANTHERS ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER & YOUTUBE
Fans of UNI Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram will have access to updates, score recaps and special announcements.

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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