UNI Slows Down Evansville, 47-41

Tuesday, February 13

Cedar Falls, Iowa

7 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

13-14, 5-10MVC

Evansville

16-12, 6-9MVC

Evansville

UNI

UNI Slows Down Evansville, 47-41

2/13/2018 9:51:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score UNI-Evansville-boxscore-2018-2

BOX SCORE (PDF)

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The University of Northern Iowa men's basketball squad notched a 47-41 victory over the visiting Evansville Purple Aces on Tuesday in the McLeod Center.

UNI (13-14 overall, 5-10 MVC) gave up a season-low 41 points and did not allow Evansville (16-12 overall, 6-9 MVC) to shoot a free throw in the win. UNI shot 27.8 percent (15-of-54) from the floor, while Evansville made 36.7 percent (18-of-49) of its shots.

The MVC's leading scorer Ryan Taylor scored a game-high 26 points on 11-of-23 shooting, but the Panthers held the rest of his teammates to 15 total points. UNI evened the season series vs. Evansville after dropping a 57-49 decision in the Ford Center on Jan. 31.

UNI senior Hunter Rhodes made his first career start and led the Panthers with 12 points. Rhodes drained a pair of three-pointers in the first half and scored 10 of his points in the opening 20 minutes. Senior forward Bennett Koch joined Rhodes in double-figure scoring with 10 points. Koch added nine rebounds. Freshman guard Tywhon Pickford grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds, earning double-figure rebounds for the 11th time this season.

UNI led 20-16 following a pair of Austin Phyfe free throws with 6:11 left in the opening half. Evansville would run off seven straight points and take a 23-20 lead with 3:38 remaining. The Panthers then stifled the Purple Aces the rest of the half with a 10-0 run. UNI would take a 30-23 lead into the intermission.

UNI extended its lead to 15 points at 42-27 on a Rhodes layup with 10:17 left in the game. However, that would be UNI's final made field goal in the contest. Evansville chipped away at the UNI advantage and made it a two-point game at 43-41 with 2:00 to go in the contest. UNI locked in defensively in the final two minutes and forced Evansville to miss its final six missed field goal attempts. Klint Carlson and Rhodes each made two free throws in the final 1:44 to give the Panthers the six-point victory.

The Panthers will be in action again Saturday at Illinois State. Tip is set for 5 p.m. at Redbird Arena in Normal, Illinois.

NOTES: It is the 50th time that the Panthers have held the opposition to less than 50 points under head coach Ben Jacobson ... UNI is 49-1 when limiting the opponent to less than 50 ... UNI has won 42 straight games when holding its opponent to less than 50 points ... Koch has scored 968 points and needs 32 points to become the 42nd UNI Panther to score 1,000 career points ... Rhodes has made 16 straight free throws dating back to the 2016-17 season ... Rhodes is a perfect 12-of-12 at the free throw line this season ... Jacobson improved to 16-9 all-time vs. Evansville ... UNI holds a 27-26 lead in the all-time series vs. Evansville following tonight's victory.