Panthers and Bulldogs Battle in Regular Season Finale

SATURDAY'S ACTION:

UNI vs Drake | Saturday, February 29 | 5 PM | Knapp Center | Des Moines, Iowa

THE SERIES
Panthers and Bulldogs meet up for the 77th time in program history, the Panthers lead the all-time series 49-27 with a 30-5 record at home, a 16-19 in Des Moines and a 3-3 record in games played on a neutral court. Head Coach Ben Jacobson is 20-9 against Drake, holding an 11-3 record in the McLeod Center and a 7-6 record on the road. Jacobson in 2-0 against the Bulldogs in Arch Madness.

THE PANTHERS
• With a win over the Bulldogs, the Panthers will secure the MVC Regular Season Championship.

•With the Panthers 84-64 victory over Evansville on Feb 26 they secured a share of the MVC Regular Season Title. The Panthers shared the title 2009 and won the title outright in 2010.

•The Panthers are receiving votes on this week's AP poll, the team has received votes for the last 9 weeks, 11 total weeks.

• The panthers are receiving votes in this week's USA Today poll, receiving votes the last 7 weeks, 10 total weeks.

• The Panthers' last AP ranking was on March 16, 2015, when they were No. 11 in the poll. UNI was ranked No. 14 in the final ESPN/USA Today coaches poll that year.

•Ben Jacobson has been named to the 2020 Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year Watch List.

•The Panthers are a perfect 16-0 inside the McLeod Center this season. The Panthers have now finished undefeated in the McLeod Center three times, all under Jacobson, (2009-10, 2014-15, 2019-20).

• The Panthers are now 61-6 when scoring 80+ points under Ben Jacobson, and are 12-0 in contest scoring over 80 points this season.

•Austin Phyfe finished with 17 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks in a win over Southern Illinois (2/23/20).

• Through 29 games, AJ Green has recorded 88 made three-pointers, ranking 3rd in a single season at UNI.

• UNI has made at least one 3-Pointer in 656 straight games – the longest active streak in the Missouri Valley Conference.

• AJ Green made 44 consecutive free throws (Dec 22-Jan 22), breaking the UNI record of 32 straight set by Bill McCoy. Green's 44 consecutive made free throws is tied 6th best in MVC history.

• The Panthers have made 48.2% from the field this season, a mark that ranks 2nd in the MVC and 11th in the NCAA.

• Making 76.7% at the free-throw line the Panthers lead the MVC.

• The Panthers have made 39.7% (276-695) of their three-point attempts this season, leading the Valley and ranking 4th in the NCAA.

•UNI has outrebounded its opponents 1082-872, holding the highest rebounding margin in the MVC at 7.2

• AJ Greens 91.5 FT % leads the MVC and ranks 5th in the NCAA.

• UNI is averaging 74.8 PPG in Valley play, leading the league in scoring through 17 games.

• AJ Green has averaged 22.2 PPG against Valley opponents, leading the league.

• Austin Phyfe has hauled in 8.9 RPG in league play, leading the league.

• Phyfe has now recorded 8 double-doubles, second-most in the MVC.

•Austin Phyfe leads the MVC in field goal percentage, making 71.62% of his field-goal attempts.

THE BULLDOGS
• The Bulldogs have won 18 of their last 19 games at the Knapp Center and are 14-1 in the building this year to equal the facility's record for wins. Drake is 38-6 at home over the last three years.

• Saturday's game will be the 12th in the venue's history and first since Dec. 20, 2008.

• Drake's 42 wins over the last two season are the sixth-most in any two-year period in Drake history.

• Earlier this season, UNI pulled away from the Bulldogs for a 10-point win despite 17 points from Liam Robbins and 16 from D.J. Wilkins.

• Robbins has scored in double figures in 19 of the last 22 games with six double-doubles this season, including a 13-point, 10-rebound night at Loyola.

• Robbins is the school record holder for blocks in a season and now has 86 blocks. He ranks seventh nationally in blocks per game with 2.87 per game.

• As a result, the Bulldogs have blocked 111 shots this season, the second-most in school history.

• Roman Penn has had 12 assists in the last two games and is third on the single-season assists list at Drake with 171. He has a 57-to-23 assist-to-turnover ratio in the last 12 games.

• This season, Penn ranks 33rd nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio and 28th in assists with 5.7 per game.

• Garrett Sturtz is coming off a 17-point, 8-rebound, 4-steal, 2-block game against Loyola. He has scored in double-figures in seven of the last 11 games and is shooting 79.4 percent in those 11 games. He has not missed more than two shots in a game since Jan. 19.

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AJ Green

Austin Phyfe

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