University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
1-1,0-0MVC
Loras
2-1,0-0American Rivers
Campbell, Pock, Anderson shine in UNI men’s basketball win over Loras
11/14/2023 10:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Panthers rout Duhawks in 40-point home opener. UNI heads south to take on South Florida on Sunday afternoon.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- Four Panthers scored in double-digit figures as UNI men's basketball shot over 50% from the field with 13 made three-point shots in a 90-50 win over the Loras Duhawks in its 2023-24 home opener on Tuesday night at the McLeod Center.
Northern Iowa led from start to finish against a Duhawks squad picked second in the American Rivers Conference (ARC) preseason poll, capitalizing on its stellar ball movement and defensive effort on both ends of the floor for its first win of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UNI put on a defensive show in the opening half of play holding the Duhawks to just 25% shooting from the floor and 10% from beyond the three point arc with ten turnovers forced. The Panthers meanwhile sank 42.9% of their shot attempts as Nate Heise led the way with 13 first half points on four-of-six shooting, while Tytan Anderson posted a ten-point first half. In a balanced rebounding battle, Northern Iowa outscored Loras 9-0 off turnovers and 10-2 in fast break points. With Loras early foul trouble by the Duhawks early sending the Panthers to the free throw line for 24 first-half attempts, UNI took a 47-19 lead into the halftime break.
The Panthers' hot shooting continued in the second half, particularly from three-point range as Kyle Pock knocked down four baskets from beyond the three-point line off the bench, while Trey Campbell also helped pace the purple and gold from distance . UNI's defense brought the pressure in the final 20 minutes of play with a plus-seven defensive rebounding margin on the Duhawks and four blocked shots. Northern Iowa's bench accounted for 32 of the Panthers' 43 second-half points as all 11 active players saw time on the floor on the night with nine scoring a basket in a 40-point victory.
Campbell, Anderson and Pock all led the night with 14 points each in the winning effort with Anderson recording two of UNI's six blocked shots. Heise finished the game with 13 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Jacob Hutson and Michael Duax posted eight-point outings. Drew Daniel led the game with eight rebounds with Charlie Miller dishing out four assists.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI improves to 17-13 all-time against the Duhawks in Tuesday's win, its eighth straight against Loras. The Panthers' 40-point win was the largest in its 20-game series history.
- The Panthers are now 16-2 in home openers under head coach Ben Jacobson.
- Northern Iowa is 80-10 (.888) when scoring 80+ points in the Ben Jacobson era (since 2006-07 season).
- Tuesday's win was Ben Jacobson 336th at UNI, moving him one win away from tying former Creighton/Saint Louis head coach Eddie Hickey for second-place on the Missouri Valley Conference's (MVC) all-time wins list.
- Tytan Anderson became the 113th player in UNI history to score 500 career points.
- RJ Taylor and Kyle Pock both scored their first collegiate points on Tuesday night.
- Charlie Miller made his collegiate debut against Loras in the second half after redshirting the 2022-23 season.
UP NEXT
Northern Iowa returns to action on Sunday afternoon as the Panthers head to the Sunshine State to take on the South Florida Bulls in Tampa. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT with live coverage available on ESPN+ and on the Panther Sports Radio Network.
