UNI Knocks Off Illinois State, 83-72

Wednesday, January 24

Cedar Falls, Iowa

7 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

11-10, 3-6MVC

Illinois State (FREE with United Way donation)

10-11, 4-5MVC

Illinois State

UNI

UNI Knocks Off Illinois State, 83-72

1/24/2018 9:48:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score UNI-ILS-boxscore-2018-1

BOX SCORE (PDF) | SEASON STATS (PDF)

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team used a 25-0 run in the first half against the Illinois State Redbirds and eventually took care of the visitors, 83-72.

UNI sophomores Isaiah Brown and Juwan McCloud guided the Panthers to their ninth home win of the season. Brown scored a career-high 20 points, while McCloud tallied career highs in assists (9) and steals (6). Senior Bennett Koch added 17 points off the bench. Junior Wyatt Lohaus grabbed a career-best eight rebounds in the triumph.

UNI (11-10 overall, 3-6 MVC) led by as many as 31 points in the contest as the Panthers defeated the Redbirds for the 11th time in 12 tries in the McLeod Center. Illinois State (10-11 overall, 4-5 MVC) was led in scoring by a pair of 20-point outbursts from Keyshawn Evans (25) and Milik Yarbrough (20).

The contest was tied 13-13 following a three-pointer from Illinois State's Yarbrough with 12:51 left in the first half. Then the Panthers blitzed the Redbirds with a 27-1 that included UNI scoring 25 straight points at one stretch. The Redbirds did not record another made field goal until Yarbrough scored with 2:21 remaining before intermission. Included the the 27-1 run was the first made three-pointer of UNI senior Ted Friedman's career. It was the first attempted three by Friedman and his triple gave UNI a 30-14 lead with 7:21 left in the half. UNI led 41-19 at the break.

The Panthers extended their lead to 62-31 with 13:24 left in the game following a triple from Wyatt Lohaus. UNI would lead by 26 points at 71-45 and a conventional three-point lay by Brown with 8:51 remaining in the game. However, the Redbirds failed to yield and put together a 19-5 run on their own that brought Illinois State to within 12 points at 76-64 with 3:00 left in the game.

The Panthers would make seven free throws in the final three minutes and closed out the win, 83-72.

UNI will be in action again Sunday at Loyola. Tip is set for 3 p.m. at Gentile Arena.

NOTES: UNI is 47-6 when scoring 80 or more points under head coach Ben Jacobson ... the six steals by Juwan McCloud tied a McLeod Center record set by Johnny Moran vs. Northern Colorado on Nov. 20, 2011 ... McCloud's nine assists tied for the most by a Panther player in the McLeod Center - equaling the mark of nine assists set by Brooks McKowen, Seth Tuttle and Wes Washpun ... Isaiah Brown becomes the sixth active Panther to have scored 20 or more points in a game.