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College Basketball: UNI defeats Southern Illinois, 42-44

CEDAR FALLS – UNI men’s basketball held Southern Illinois to a season-low 44 points as the Panthers defeated the Salukis 52-44 on Wednesday night at the McLeod Center in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) action.

The Panthers improve to a season-best 5 games over .500 at 14-9 overall and 10-3 in the MVC, while SIU falls to 12-13 and 5-8 in league play. With the win, the Panthers take over sole possession of first place in the MVC standings with 4 games remaining in the regular season.

UNI opened up action as AJ Green sank a pair of three-point baskets to give the Panthers an early lead. Facing off against the league’s best scoring defense, the Panthers held the Salukis without a field goal for nearly 11 minutes to build a healthy lead. UNI attacked from mid-range to build a 14-point advantage, but struggled to slow a late SIU push at the end of the opening half. The Panthers defense allowed just 19 points in the first half, a season-low as UNI entered the halftime break with a 26-19 advantage.

The Salukis attacked the basket early in the second half, tying the game at 33 all on a Marcus Domask three-point field goal. Attacking the basket with each possession, UNI improved inside the paint to retake the lead, drawing contact and making 9 shot attempts at the free throw line. Locking down defensively, the Panthers held SIU scoreless for the final 3 minutes of regulation, extending a late lead to 9 points to secure UNI’s 5th consecutive win.

AJ Green led the night with a game-high 24 points, shooting 4-for-9 from beyond the arc and going a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. Bowen Born finished with 8 points, as Trae Berhow scored 7 points with a season-high 11 rebounds. Nate Heise notched 5 points with 10 rebounds, while Noah Carter posted 7 points.

PANTHER NOTES
UNI’s 19 points allowed in the first half were the fewest given up since allowing 18 points at Drake on Jan. 29, 2020, the final game of the 2019-20 regular season.
SIU’s 44 points were the fewest allowed by the UNI defense since giving up 41 against Evansville in a 47-41 home win on Feb. 13, 2018.
Wednesday’s game marked the second time this season the Salukis were held under 45 points in a game. SIU scored just 39 points on Jan. 27 in a home loss to Loyola-Chicago.
With his second half three-point field goal, Trae Berhow passed Ben Jacobson (2002-06) for 3rd all-time in made three-pointers in UNI history. With 204 career baskets from beyond the arc, Berhow trails only Matt Bohannon (2012-16) and AJ Green.
Austin Phyfe is 28 points from passing his father Steve on UNI’s all-time scoring list. Steve Phyfe, who played for the Panthers from 1987-90, was a member of UNI’s first-ever NCAA Tournament team in 1990, scoring 912 career points.
Noah Carter jumped up to 75th on the program’s all-time scoring list with 732 career points, passing Scott Stafford (1983-85).
Tyhwon Pickford played in his 137th career game on Wednesday night, breaking a tie with Seth Tuttle (2011-15) for the 4th most games played in UNI history. Pickford trails leader Marc Sonnen (2008-13), who played a program record 139 games for the Panthers, as well as Jake Koch (2008-13) and Matt Bohannon, who both played 138 games.

UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Feb. 13 on the road against the Ramblers of Loyola-Chicago. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT at Gentile Arena.

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