University of Northern Iowa
7-5,1-0MVC
Washington State
10-3,0-0WCC
UNI men’s basketball comeback falls short against Cougars
12/21/2024 5:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Panthers finish non-conference schedule with a 7-5 record. UNI resumes MVC play on Dec. 29 at home against Southern Illinois.
LAS VEGAS --- The UNI men's basketball team nearly erased a 23-point halftime deficit on Saturday, coming up just short in a 76-68 loss to the Washington State Cougars in its final non-conference matchup of the regular season at the Holiday Hoops Classic at the Orleans Arena.
Northern Iowa's eight first half turnovers put the Panthers into an early hole before a strong second half performance, led by Tytan Anderson helped spark a comeback attempt. Washington State's quick start, size and physicality would prevail in the end as UNI's four-game win streak was snapped.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Washington State quickly jumped on UNI from the opening tip, beginning the game with a 9-0 scoring run. Eight first half turnovers would plague the Panthers as the Cougars turned Northern Iowa's takeaways into 12 points off turnovers, while UNI struggled on just 31% shooting from the field. Leon Bond III would provide a spark with nine points in the opening stanza, along with three-point baskets from Max Weisbrod and Trey Campbell. Redek Born would score his first career points in the first half as Washington State took a 49-26 lead into the halftime break.
UNI would storm back in the second half, outscoring the Cougars by a 42-27 margin and dominating the offensive rebounding battle. Despite picking up his fourth foul early in the half, Anderson shot four-of-eight from the field with six made free throws and nine rebounds and helped lead the charge in cutting WSU's 23-point lead down to single digits. Drawing contact for trips to the free throw line, UNI shot 46.9% from the field in the final 20 minutes, pulling with seven points with one minute, 45 seconds to play. Despite an improved effort in defensive rebounding late, the Panthers were unable to close the gap in the final seconds, falling to the Cougars by six.
Anderson and Bond both led Northern Iowa with 17 points, with Anderson notching a double-double with ten rebounds, along with four assists. Bond finished with seven boards. Ben Schwieger tallied ten points in the loss, with Campbell posting nine points and seven rebounds. Jacob Hutson recorded six points with four boards, as Redek Born posted four points.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI falls to 1-1 in the all-time series against Washington State. Saturday marked the first meeting between the programs since the 2015 Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii won by the Panthers.
- Northern Iowa's 16 offensive rebounds were the second-most recorded in a game this season after notching 17 in its season opener against Dubuque.
- Tytan Anderson's 17-point, ten rebounds double-double was his second of the season and 18th of his career.
- Jacob Hutson surpassed 800 career points on Saturday, notching his 462nd point scored as a Panther. Hutson previously scored 343 points from 2021-23 at Loyola-Chicago.
- Ben Schwieger notched his 400th career point in Saturday's loss. The Aurora, Illinois native previously played at Loyola-Chicago (2022-24), scoring 290 points.
- Freshman Redek Born recorded his first career points with a layup and two made free throws in the first half.
UP NEXT
Northern Iowa returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 29 as it resumes Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play against the Southern Illinois Salukis at home. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT inside the McLeod Center, with live coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network.
Tickets can be purchased through the UNI Ticket Office online, by calling 319-273-4849 or through email at tickets@uni.edu.
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.
