CEDAR FALLS – The University of Northern Iowa men’s basketball team ran its win streak to 11 in a row with a 69-53 victory over the Drake Bulldogs in the McLeod Center.
UNI (22-2 overall, 11-1 MVC) also won its 15th straight home game behind a game-high 16 points from senior Seth Tuttle. The Panthers tied a season-high with 11 made 3-pointers against the Bulldogs (7-17 overall, 4-8 MVC).
UNI made four of its first five 3-pointers of the game and took a 14-4 lead with 14:05 left in the first half. Drake cut the lead to 14-9 with 12:32 left before UNI used a 15-4 run. UNI stretched the lead to 29-13 on a Jeremy Morgan bucket with 4:53 left in the half. UNI led 36-20 at the break.
Drake would close the UNI advantage to nine points at 51-42 following a C.J. Rivers basket. However, UNI would run off nine consecutive points on three-pointers from Jesperson, Buss and Jesperson that gave the Panthers a 60-42 lead with 7:04 remaining.
The margin would get no closer than 13 points the rest of the way and the Panthers posted a 69-53 victory. UNI moved to 12-0 at home this season.
The Panthers will remain at home and take on the Illinois State Redbirds on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the McLeod Center.
In other game notes, UNI wore black home uniforms for the McLeod Center Blackout … UNI matched its school record for consecutive MVC victories with 11 … UNI also won 11 in a row in the 2008-09 season … UNI swept the season series vs. Drake for the fifth time under head coach Ben Jacobson … UNI’s 22 wins ranks as the fifth-best single-season total in school history … Matt Bohannon knocked down four 3-pointers to give him 156 for his career … Bohannon ranks No. 7 all-time at UNI trailing No. 6 Robbie Sieverding’s total of 157 by only one heading into Wednesday’s game at Illinois State … Tuttle blocked a shot giving him 90 career blocks and moving him into a tie with Jason Sims for No. 6 on UNI’s all-time blocks list … Deon Mitchell started his 104th career game tying him for No. 10 on UNI’s all-time starts list with Jason Reese.
