CANCUN, MEXICO – The UNI men’s basketball team took on the Mountaineers of West Virginia in the late game of the Cancun Challenge on Tuesday night, falling to the Big 12 opponent 55-60.
The Panthers took a 3 point lead into halftime, shooting 35 percent from the field. Defense was the story of the game, as the Panthers were able to hold the Mountaineers to just 25 percent from the field. Both teams recorded 7 turnovers in the first half with the Panthers picking up four points compared to the Mountaineers two. Both teams struggled shooting from beyond the arc with the Panthers going 1-12 from distance and the Mountaineers going 1-10.
The Panthers came alive in the second half, extending their lead to as high as 15 points after a 10-0 run with 13:26 left in the game. The Mountaineers went on runs of their own, including a 7-0 run with 6:47 remaining in the game to close the gap 6. From there a series of fouls and turnovers lead to the Mountaineer comeback win.
The Panthers dominated the paint, scoring 34 of the teams 55 points down low. The Panthers held the Mountaineers to just 14 points in the paint won the turnover battle 10-17.
KEY STATS
– Isaiah Brown led the Panthers with 15 points going 7-9 from the field
– Justin Dahl hauled in a team high 8 rebounds
– The Panthers held the lead for 35 minutes and 28 seconds
UP NEXT
The Panthers will now take on the 4-2 Gamecocks of South Carolina at 5 pm Wednesday night. The Gamecocks fell to the Shockers of Wichita State 47-70 on Tuesday afternoon. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
