CEDAR FALLS – UNI dominated the final 8 minutes of play and surged across the finish line as the Panthers won their fourth straight game in a 75-67 win over the Murray State Racers in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) action.
Tytan Anderson made program history in the Panthers’ big win by pulling down a career-high 18 rebounds to set a new single-game school record for rebounds against an MVC opponent. Anderson also tied UNI’s single-game home record for rebounds in the victory.
Both the Panthers and Racers started the night cold from the floor as UNI shot a mere 17.6% from the field in the first 11 minutes of play. The UNI defense held firm however, forcing 7 Racer turnovers in the opening stanza with 6 steals, only 2 personal fouls and a balanced offensive attack from both inside and outside the paint. Murray State took a seven-point lead with three and a half minutes to play in the half before Bowen Born scored 8 straight points on three consecutive baskets to retake the lead. With the late spark by the Panther guard, UNI took a 28-27 lead into the halftime break.
Opposite to the start of the game, UNI and Murray State started the second half hot with the Racers taking advantage of several narrowly missed baskets by the Panther offense. Rob Perry put the Racers ahead by 9 points with just under 8 minutes to play thanks to 17 points in the second stanza by the junior guard, including a trio of made three-point baskets. By drawing contact down the stretch and a combined 25-point effort by Born and Cole Henry, the Panthers roared back with a 24-9 run to finish the game. Anderson dominated the glass with 11 second half rebounds and the UNI offense surged across the finish line with 8 trips to the free throw line and 53.3% shooting on the floor.
Born finished the night with a game-high 23 points and 4 assists, his fifth 20+ point performance in the last seven games. Anderson complimented his record-breaking 18 rebounds with 11 points, posting his MVC-leading eighth double-double of the season, while Landon Wolf ended the game with 15 points and a career-best 5 made three-pointers. Cole Henry tallied 14 points, including 12 in the second half, as Michael Duax scored 7 points.
PANTHER NOTES
Tuesday night marked the first all-time meeting between UNI and Murray State.
UNI improves to 2-1 against teams coached by Steve Prohm. Prohm, who coached at Iowa State from 2015-21, went 1-1 in his six seasons leading the Cyclones.
The Panthers committed only 8 turnovers in Tuesday’s win, their fewest in a conference game this season.
UNI outscored Murray State 20-8 in the paint in the second half, and 11-3 in second chance scoring opportunities.
Tytan Anderson’s 18 rebounds broke UNI’s single-game record against an MVC opponent, previously held by Joe Breakenridge, who grabbed 17 rebounds in 2000-01 against Evansville.
Anderson’s 18 rebound effort tied the program’s single-game home record, matching former teammate Tywhon Pickford’s Nov. 23, 2017 mark against North Carolina State.
Bowen Born’s highest scoring games of his career have come in nine of his last 13 games. His 23-point game against the Racers on Tuesday is tied for the seventh-highest scoring game of his career.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to the road on Saturday, January 14 to take on another first-time opponent in the Belmont Bruins in Nashville. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT and can be watched live on ESPN3 and on the Panther Sports Radio Network.
