University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Valparaiso
Panther men’s basketball looks to bounce back at Valparaiso
2/13/2024 10:46:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UNI is 9-3 against the Beacons since Valparaiso joined the league in 2017-18
UNI men's basketball (13-12 / 7-7 MVC) at Valparaiso (6-19 / 2-12 MVC)
- Feb. 14, 2024 | 7 p.m. CT
- Valparaiso, Ind. | Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000)
- ESPN+ (Todd Ickow: Play-by-Play / Jamie Stangel: Analyst)
- Panther Sports Radio Network (J.W. Cox: Play-by-Play)
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI men's basketball's two-game road trip concludes on Wednesday night as the Panthers visit the Valparaiso Beacons in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT with live coverage available on ESPN+ as well as the Panther Sports Radio Network.
Coming off a tough loss on Sunday afternoon at UIC, the Panthers will look to get back on track against a struggling Beacons team that has lost its last six games. Northern Iowa leads the all-time series 31-5 and is 13-4 on the road at Valparaiso. The Panthers can also pick up another major program milestone in their 1,400th all-time win with a victory on Wednesday night.
The Panthers struggled to slow down a hot-shooting UIC squad in their 71-65 loss to the Flames in Chicago on Sunday, giving up 50.9% of shot attempts, including five made three-point baskets to Flames forward Filip Skobalj. UNI would put together an efficient second half by drawing contact and earning trips to the free throw line. Despite a more aggressive pursuit of rebounds, turnovers and a difficult shooting day from beyond the arc prevented a Panther win and snapped UNI's three-game winning streak against UIC.
Nate Heise finished the afternoon with a team-high 19 points and 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double performance of the season, while Tytan Anderson notched 13 points with eight rebounds. Trey Campbell tallied 11 points with four rebounds in the loss, as Bowen Born posted a seven-point game. Landon Wolf, Michael Duax and Kyle Pock all finished with four points each.
Heise leads the Panthers with 13.8 points per game this season, while Born has recorded 13.3 points while also leading the MVC and ranking 17th nationally with a 90% free throw shooting mark (63-of-70). Born's accuracy at the free throw line is currently on pace to finish as the third-best single-season mark in program history. He has also scored in double-digit figures in 14 of his last 17 games.
Heise has posted 6.2 rebounds per contest, while Anderson, who is riding a 57-game streak of scoring at least one point, is averaging a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game with 11.2 points per contest. At the three-point arc, Campbell is shooting 42.3% to the tune of 9.2 points a game, while Hutson posts a shooting clip at 55.9% with a career-best 8.4 points per game as the Panthers' key inside man.
On milestone watch, head coach Ben Jacobson can earn his 350th career triumph with a win over the Beacons, while Born sits 18 points away from cracking into UNI's top-ten all-time list.
VALPARAISO BEACONS
The Beacons are in the midst of a tough rebuilding season under first year head coach Roger Powell, returning just three scholarship players from last season, while also bringing in five freshmen and four transfers.
Valparaiso has lost its last six games, most recently a 96-78 home loss to Belmont last Saturday. Looking for their first win since Jan. 20 against UIC, the Beacons, who were picked 12th in the MVC's preseason poll, will look to improve on their league-worst 40.7% shooting clip from the field. Valparaiso has also struggled to defend the three-point line, giving 35.5% of shot attempts beyond the arc.
Junior guard Isaiah Stafford leads the Beacons with 16.3 points per game, while Cooper Schwieger has posted 12.2 points and a team-high 5.4 rebounds. Darius DeAverio, Jahari Williamson and Jaxon Edwards all average just over eight points a game for Valparaiso, with DeAverio dishing out 5.2 assists per contest.
