CEDAR FALLS – 5 Panthers scored in double-digit figures on Sunday afternoon as UNI men’s basketball defeated the Missouri State Bears 95-75 at the McLeod Center in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) action.
The Panthers improve to 16-10 on the season and 12-4 in MVC play, while the Bears fall to 20-9 and 11-5 in the league. UNI also takes over sole possession of first place in the conference standings with 2 games remaining in the regular season.
The Panthers dominated from start to finish, shooting 58.9% from the field on the game, including 46.4% from three-point range with 13 made baskets from beyond the arc. UNI led for all but one minute of play against Missouri State, pushing the ball quickly on offense to attack both inside the paint and from long range. With only 4 fouls committed in the opening half, the Panthers capitalized on 8 made free throws to take a 49-33 lead into halftime.
UNI’s offense continued to roll into the second half while putting pressure on the Bears’ defense. Bowen Born hit 5-of-6 shots from the floor, including a set of 3 three-pointers, as Noah Carter attacked inside the paint and at the free throw line. With Born, AJ Green and Trae Berhow combining for 9 of UNI’s 13 made three-point baskets, as well as solid rebounding performances from Carter, Berhow, and Tywhon Pickford, the Panthers closed the afternoon strong to complete the 20-point victory, the third win of 20+ points this season.
AJ Green finished the day with a team-high 21 points and 7 assists, as Noah Carter notched 17 points and a game-high 8 rebounds. Bowen Born scored a season-high 15 points and career-high 6 rebounds, while Trae Berhow recorded 15 points and 6 boards. Nate Heise notched 14 points for UNI, as Tywhon Pickford posted 6 points and 6 rebounds in the Panther win.
PANTHER NOTES
UNI has now won 3 consecutive games against Missouri State, completing the regular season sweep of the Bears for the 9th time under head coach Ben Jacobson.
Noah Carter has scored 15+ points in 12 of UNI’s 16 MVC games this season.
Playing in his 140th career game on Sunday, Tywhon Pickford passed Marc Sonnen (2008-13) for the most games played in program history.
The Panthers are 7-0 this season when shooting 50% or better from the field.
UNI improves to 73-9 under Ben Jacobson when the offense scores 80+ points in a game.
Trae Berhow jumped up to 24th on the program’s all-time scoring list, passing Cedrick McCullough (1988-92) with 1,171 points scored as a Panther,
Austin Phyfe became the 56th member of UNI’s 900-point club with his 5-point effort against Missouri State. Phyfe is now 13 points from passing his father Steve on UNI’s all-time scoring list.
Noah Carter moved into a tie with Brian Carpenter (1992-96) for 74th on the program’s career scoring list with his 774th point scored today.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Feb. 23 on the road against the Indiana State Sycamores. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute.
