VALPARAISO, Ind – UNI needed every second on the clock to pull out victory over the Valparaiso Beacons on Wednesday night, sealing the deal with a game-winning put back layup by Michael Duax for the 69-67 win at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
With the win, head coach Ben Jacobson picked up his 328th career victory with the Panthers, passing former Creighton coach Dana Altman for third on the Missouri Valley Conference’s (MVC) all-time wins list.
UNI’s offense went to work early, opening the game of a 10-0 run in the first three minutes of play as the Panthers penetrated the paint early and caught the Valparaiso defense on its heels. The Beacons began to find their rhythm as the first half rolled on with forward Ben Krikke notching 14 points in the first 20 minutes. UNI was able to protect the ball with only 5 first half turnovers, and reclaim a narrow lead after a 12-2 Beacons run with Cole Henry getting action inside the lane. Landon Wolf and Bowen Born combined for three consecutive three-point baskets to end the half as UNI went into the break with a 41-38 advantage.
The Panthers stretched their lead out to as many as 9 points to open the second stanza, but the Beacons were not afraid to shoot the three-point shot. Being forced into more foul situations and a 5-minute scoreless stretch, Valparaiso pulled back within a single possession in the final minutes. After the Beacons tied the game at 67 with 19 seconds remaining, UNI got the opportunity for the final shot with 7 seconds to play. Born’s two-point jumper hit the front of the rim, allowing Duax to grab the quick offensive rebounds and put back shot attempt as the final horn sounded to give the Panthers the thrilling win.
Tytan Anderson recorded his MVC-leading sixth double-double of the season with a 16-point, 12 rebound performance. Duax notched his second career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 12 boards as Born and Henry each scored 10 points. James Betz tallied 8 points, including a pair of three-point baskets, while Landon Wolf scored 6 points.
PANTHER NOTES
UNI improves to 30-5 all-time against Valparaiso with Wednesday’s win. The Panthers are 8-3 against the Beacons since they joined the MVC in 2017-18.
The Panther defense has now held their opponents to 67 or fewer points in four consecutive games.
UNI outrebounded Valparaiso 40-29 in Wednesday’s victory. The 11-rebound margin is tied for the largest in a UNI win this season.
The Panthers outscored the Beacons 40-26 inside the paint in the win.
Bowen Born’s 10 points give him 793 points on his career after Wednesday’s game. Born is 7 points from becoming the 71st member of the program’s 800-point club, and can pass Nick Nurse on the all-time scoring list with his next 8 points.
James Betz and Trey Campbell also reached scoring milestones against the Beacons with Betz surpassing 200 career points and Campbell 100 career points.
UP NEXT
UNI returns home on Saturday afternoon as the Panthers host the Salukis of Southern Illinois. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT at the McLeod Center with the game being broadcast on ESPN3 and on the Panther Sports Radio Network.
