University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
9-12, 4-4MVC
University of Evansville
9-12, 3-5MVC
Career Nights Move the Panthers Past Evansville
1/26/2019 10:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The UNI men's basketball team hosted the Purple Aces of Evansville in the McLeod Center on Saturday night in the team's Hope Always Game in connection with Suits and Sneakers Week. The Panthers defeated the Aces 81-74 in a dramatic second-half comeback with the help of career performances by three Panthers.
The Panthers held the lead for just under 15 minutes in the first half but the Aces managed to close a five-point lead in the final minutes and take a 36-31 lead into the break. Trae Berhow led the Panthers with 10 first-half points and hauled in six rebounds while Isaiah Brown and Tywhon Pickford each added five points.
The Aces extended their lead in the opening minutes of the second half, leading 48-39 after five minutes of play. The Panthers responded with their own run to reclaim the lead with nine minutes to play and maintained that lead to close out the game. The Panthers outscored the Aces 50-38 in the second half to secure their fourth MVC victory.
The Panthers had multiple dominant performances to take down the Aces. Spencer Haldeman ended the night with a career-high 24 points, 21 coming in the second half, while Trae Berhow tied his career mark, dropping 19 points. Berhow finished the night with a double-double, hauling in 10 rebounds.
Joining Berhow with a double-double was Luke McDonnell, the junior forward ended with 10 points and grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds.
Isaiah Brown added 12 points on the night, going five of seven from the field and two for three from beyond the three-point arc.
The Panthers recorded five steals and the Aces committed an additional 11 turnovers that the Panthers converted into 16 points. The Panthers were able to grab 13 offensive rebounds against the Aces, the most since grabbing 13 against Southern Illinois on January 1.
To help raise awareness and fight against cancer the men's basketball staff and those in attendance wore pink and purchased Hope Always shirts to remember long time Panther supporter Joyce Borglum and everyone impacted by cancer.
UP NEXT
The Panthers, now 9-12 overall and 4-4 in MVC play, will travel to Chicago, Illinois on Wednesday to take on Loyola. The Ramblers are 12-8 overall and leading the Missouri Valley Conference with a 5-5 mark. The Panthers and Ramblers will tip off at 6 pm and can be viewed on NBC Sports Chicago and ESPN+.
