No. 9 Xavier Defeats UNI, 77-67

Friday, December 22

Cedar Falls, Iowa

8 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

8-4

Xavier

12-1

Xavier

UNI

No. 9 Xavier Defeats UNI, 77-67

12/22/2017 11:17:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Xavier 77, UNI 67

BOX SCORE (PDF)

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The No. 9-ranked Xavier Musketeers scored a 77-67 victory over the University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team in front of 6,355 fans in the McLeod Center.

Xavier (12-1 overall) used a crucial 11-2 run to turn a 46-46 tie into a 57-48 advantage with 5:30 left in the game. Xavier was led in scoring by J.P. Macura's 15 points. The Musketeers also had double-figure scoring from Trevon Bluiett (12 points), Kaiser Gates (11 points) and Kerem Kanter (10 points). The Musketeers drained 12-of-23 shots from three-point land in the win.

UNI (8-4 overall) got a game-high 26 points from senior Bennett Koch as he went 8-of-12 from the field and 10-of-12 from the free throw line. Koch fouled out with 1:47 left in the contest.

The Panthers largest lead of the game came at 22-12 with 9:45 left in the first half. Klint Carlson drained his second three-pointer of the opening half to give the Panthers a 10-point bulge.

However, Xavier answered back with 13-0 run to give the visitors a 25-22 lead with 4:17 left in the half. UNI knotted the game at 29-29 on a three-pointer from Spencer Haldeman that sent it to intermission in a deadlock.

Xavier secured a 10-point second-half lead at 46-36 on a three-pointer from Macura with 13:26 remaining in the game. UNI got the McLeod Center rocking with a 10-0 run of its own to even it up at 46-46. Wyatt Lohaus connected on back-to-back three-pointers to pull the Panthers even with the Musketeers with 10:31 left in the game.

UNI will be back in action Thurs., Dec. 28, as the Panthers open Missouri Valley Conference play against Southern Illinois. The Panthers and Salukis will tip at 7 p.m. in the McLeod Center. Tickets are available for as low as $5 for the UNI-SIU matchup by logging on to www.UNIPanthers.com/stocking up to Christmas Day.