Koch Provides Scoring Punch Against Wartburg

Wednesday, November 15

Cedar Falls, Iowa

7 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

2-1

Wartburg

0-1

Wartburg

UNI

Koch Provides Scoring Punch Against Wartburg

11/15/2017 9:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score UNI-Wartburg-boxscore-2017

BOX SCORE (PDF)

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - University of Northern Iowa senior Bennett Koch posted a career-high 25 points in leading the Panthers to a 72-43 win over the Wartburg Knights in the McLeod Center.

The Panthers took a 21-9 lead with 10:18 left in the first half following a steal and layup by Juwan McCloud. McCloud's bucket capped a 9-0 Panther run. Following the 9-0 spurt, UNI went into a three-point shooting skid that saw the Panthers miss 20 of their next 21 shots from beyond the three-point arc.

Koch scored 20 second-half points and was perfect from the field on the night by draining all eight of his field goal attempts. Koch's second-half surge turned a 37-35 lead for the Panthers with 13:07 left in the game into a 29-point victory. UNI outscored Wartburg 35-8 in the final 11 minutes of the contest.

Freshman guard Tywhon Pickford secured a game-high 13 rebounds, with five of those coming on the offensive end of the floor. Pickford just missed a double-double with nine points.

UNI moved to 2-1 on the year, while Wartburg fell to 0-1 as the Knights opened their season on Wednesday night.

The Panthers will remain at home in the McLeod Center and take on the Chicago State Cougars Saturday at 11 a.m.

NOTES: Koch's previous career-high was 22 points ... Koch tied his own McLeod Center record by making all eight of his field goal attempts ... Koch drained 8-of-8 field goals vs. Drake on Jan. 15, 2017 ... the Panthers held their second straight opponent to less than 50 points after limiting Alcorn State to 45 points on Monday night ... UNI has won 39 straight games when holding its opponent to 50 points or less ... Ben Jacobson coached squads are 46-1 when holding its opponent to less than 50 ... UNI has made at least one 3-pointer in 564 straight games.