Men's basketball gears up for midweek matchup with Valparaiso

UNI men's basketball vs. Valparaiso

8 p.m. CT | Jan. 5
Cedar Falls, Iowa | McLeod Center (6,650)
ESPN+ (Brad Wells: Play-by-Play / Kevin Lehman: Analyst)
1540 KXEL: Panther Sports Radio Network (Gary Rima: Play-by-Play / Kevin Boyle: Analyst)

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI men's basketball hosts the second of two home games this week on Wednesday night, welcoming the Valparaiso Beacons to the McLeod Center at 8 p.m.

The Panthers return to action following an 83-61 win over Evansville on Sunday afternoon to open the home Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) schedule. UNI's bench contributed with a strong performance with 32 points, the fourth most points scored this season. A season-high 5 Panthers scored in double-digit figures in the 22-point victory, led by AJ Green's 18-point effort. Trae Berhow posted 16 points, with 15 points from Noah Carter off the bench. Nate Heise and Antwan Kimmons each scored 10 points.

Valparaiso (8-6, 1-1 MVC) visits Cedar Falls after a narrow 81-76 overtime home win on Sunday against Illinois State. The Beacons dropped their conference opener back on Dec. 2 at Drake by a score of 73-66.

The Beacons post one of the top defensive units in the MVC, leading the league with 7.5 steals per game. Valparaiso also ranks as one of the least fouled teams in the nation, averaging 13.3 personal fouls a game, second in the MVC behind only UNI.

Junior forward Ben Krikke, a Second Team All-MVC preseason selection, leads the Beacon offense with 15.3 points per game, having started in 11 of Valparaiso's 14 games. Sophomore guard Sheldon Edwards comes into Wednesday's matchup with 12.2 points a game and a team high 18 blocked shots on the season. Off the glass, forward Thomas Kithier leads the way with 6.5 rebounds per game, and a team-high 23 offensive rebounds.

The Panthers hold a commanding 28-4 record all-time against the Beacons entering Wednesday's game. UNI is 6-2 against Valparaiso since the Beacons joined the MVC in 2017.

PANTHER NOTES

UNI is 16-1 all-time at home against Valparaiso. The Panthers' only loss to the Beacons in the McLeod Center came last season on Feb. 13, 2021 as the two teams split a doubleheader.
Since Valparaiso joined the MVC in 2017, UNI's six wins over the Beacons have come by an average of 9.5 points.
Head coach Ben Jacobson is 3 conference wins from passing former Creighton/Saint Louis head coach Eddie Hickey as the third winningest MVC coach in conference games in league history. Jacobson leads all active MVC coaches with 161 league victories.
The Panthers are 5-0 this season when leading with 5 minutes to play in regulation, as well as 3-0 when shooting 50% or better from the field.
The Panthers are averaging 12.8 personal fouls per game, the fourth lowest average in the entire nation.
AJ Green leads the MVC in career three-point field goals among active players with 206. Drake's D.J. Wilkins ranks second with 204.
Tywhon Pickford, Trae Berhow and Austin Phyfe hold three of the top four spots among active MVC players in career rebounds. Pickford leads the league with 611 career board, with Berhow in third with 542, and Phyfe in fourth with 532.
AJ Green ranks second in minutes per game (34:38) in the MVC, the 59th best average in the NCAA.
Austin Phyfe is 68 points from passing his father, Steve Phyfe, in career points scored for the Panthers. Steve Phyfe, who played at UNI from 1987-90 and was part of the program's first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament team in 1990, scored 912 career points for the Panthers, ranking 55th in program history.
Tywhon Pickford is two points from passing 700 career points at UNI.

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