University of Northern Iowa
2-2,0-0MVC
Wichita State
3-0,0-0AAC
UNI men’s basketball comeback at Wichita State comes up short
11/14/2024 9:06:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Panthers rally in second half falls short in six-point road loss. UNI hosts Western Illinois on Tuesday night.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI men's basketball made a late surge on Thursday night, but came up short as it reignited an old Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) rivalry against the Wichita State Shockers in a 79-73 non-conference loss at Charles Koch Arena.
Battling the Shockers in the paint, Northern Iowa cut WSU's 14-point lead down to two possessions in the final minutes, but struggled in the rebounding battle as the Shockers outrebounded UNI by a 42-31 margin. Northern Iowa finished the game shooting 47% from the field, including 40% from three-point range with six blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panthers and Shockers opened the night with nearly three scoreless minutes of action before engaging in an early back-and-forth. Wichita State would slowly pull away as UNI struggled on just 41.9% shooting with several close shots not falling. Despite the early deficit, an impressive eight-rebound half by Tytan Anderson and clutch three-point shooting from Trey Campbell, Max Weisbrod, Ben Schwieger and Kyle Pock, helped keep the Panthers within reach of the Shockers. Schwieger helped kick start a late 7-0 scoring run for Northern Iowa with five straight points of his own, helping cut away at the Shockers' lead, heading into the halftime break trailing 34-32.
Wichita State burst out of the locker room and hit the Panthers with four made three-pointers in the first four and a half minutes of the second half, putting UNI into a double-digit hole early. UNI would fight back in the late minutes however, thanks to a monster 20-point second half effort by Jacob Hutson. Anderson supplemented Hutson with eight points in the second period, helping the Panthers cut the Shockers' lead down to just four points. Despite the late push, the Panthers struggled to out rebound WSU in the final 20 minutes and finish with late free throws, which would lead to a six-point win for the Shockers.
Hutson finished the night with a game-high 22 points with four rebounds, while Anderson posted a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double with three blocked shots. Schwieger also tallied 12 points off the bench, while Leon Bond III and Will Hornseth both scored eight points each, with Bond posted six boards.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Wichita State now leads the all-time series 29-28 following Thursday night's game in the first meeting between the two programs since 2017, the Shockers' last year as a member of the MVC.
- Jacob Hutson surpassed 600 career points in Thursday's loss with his 22-point outing. Hutson, a transfer from Loyola-Chicago, has scored 367 points as a Panther, adding to his 254 points scored as a Rambler from 2021-23.
- Tytan Anderson notched his first double-double of the season and 18th of his career on Thursday.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to the McLeod Center on Tuesday, Nov. 19 as they host the Western Illinois Leathernecks in non-conference action. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT with live coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network.
UNI men's basketball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Men's Basketball), X (@UNImbb) and on Instagram (@uni_basketball). The full 2024 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
