University of Northern Iowa
3-4,0-0MVC
St. Bonaventure
7-1,0-0Atlantic 10
UNI men’s basketball drops NIT Season Tip-Off finale to Bonnies
11/29/2024 10:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Turnovers slow Panthers’ attempt at second half comeback in Florida. UNI opens conference play on Wednesday night at UIC.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. --- The UNI men's basketball team grabbed an early lead, but could hold on in the late first half and beyond in a 68-56 loss to the St. Bonaventure Bonnies on Friday night in the consolation game of the NIT Season Tip-Off at State Farm Field House at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex.
Northern Iowa sank first half three-point field goals and built a nine-point lead in the first period, but struggled with a season-high 17 turnovers on the night, leading to 21 Bonnie points off Panther giveaways. UNI also found difficulty in forcing takeaways, being held to five steals on defense.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UNI held a healthy lead for the majority of the first half of action, shooting at a 52% clip with five made three-point baskets. The Panthers jumped out to an early six-point lead before the Bonnies pulled within two points at 12-10 before crucial three-point shots from Max Weisbrod and RJ Taylor extended the UNI lead once again. Northern Iowa's three-point efficiency continued minutes later as the Panthers buried three-point baskets on three consecutive possessions, including a pair from Kyle Pock and one from Taylor to grow its lead to 26-17 with just under seven minutes left in the half. St. Bonaventure would storm back with a 20-10 scoring run down the stretch, including an 8-0 run to grab its first lead of the game, carrying a 38-32 lead on the Panthers into halftime.
After giving up ten turnovers in the first period, the Panther offense struggled to hold on to the ball with seven second half turnovers as UNI was held to 43.5% shooting and just one made three pointer on nine attempts. St. Bonaventure opened the second half on a 9-2 run and sank three baskets from beyond the three-point arc as Anderson paced the Northern Iowa offense with eight second half points and four rebounds down the stretch, while Ben Schwieger added five second half points.
Anderson finished the night with a team-high 14 points on 60% shooting and five rebounds, while Pock notched a season-high 11 points, including three made three pointers. Both Jacob Hutson and Schwieger tallied seven points each, as Leon Bond III recorded five points and four boards alongside Taylor's six points and six assists.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- St. Bonaventure takes a 3-2 lead in the all-time series with Friday night's win, the first neutral site meeting between the two teams.
- Northern Iowa is now 24-22 all-time in multi-team event (MTE) games under head coach Ben Jacobson. The Panthers previously won the 2019 Cancun Challenge in the Riviera Division, as well as the 2010 iBN Las Vegas Classic, 2011 South Padre Island Tournament and the 2015 Cancun Challenge.
- For his play on Friday, as well as Thursday against North Texas, Leon Bond III was named to the NIT Season Tip-Off All-Tournament Team.
- Tytan Anderson broke into the top-50 for all-time scoring in program history with his 957th career point, passing Joe Breakenridge (1997-01) for 50th in team history.
UP NEXT
The Panthers will open Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play on Wednesday, Dec. 4 with a road trip to take on the UIC Flames in Chicago. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT at Credit Union 1 Arena 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.
