CEDAR FALLS – Five Panthers scored in double-digit figures as UNI’s offense cruised in the first half en route to a 103-65 exhibition win on Wednesday night against the Coe College Kohawks.
Leading from start to finish, UNI excelled in the paint and off the glass, with both returning veterans and newcomers getting opportunities to hit the court ahead of next week’s regular season opener.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panthers pushed the pace of the first half straight from the opening tip, penetrating the paint early and often through center Jacob Hutson in his UNI debut. Outscoring Coe 32-8 in the paint in the first 20 minutes of play thanks to excellent interior play from Hutson, Tytan Anderson and Cole Henry, the Panthers also dominated off the glass, outrebounding the Kohawks 20-8 in the first half. Landon Wolf and Bowen Born both found a hot hand late in the period with each drilling three baskets from beyond the three-point arc. UNI shot 71.4% from the field in the opening half and 9-of-12 from three-point range to take a 63-27 lead into the halftime break.
The Panthers would go deep into their bench in the second half, featuring the UNI debuts of freshmen RJ Taylor and Kyle Pock. Coe would cut into UNI’s lead with a 9-0 run midway through the period, but the Panthers’ rebounding prowess continued down the stretch as Pock would score nine points on three made three-point shots. Anderson continued to lead UNI inside the lane down the stretch with the Panthers shooting 57.7% from the floor, enough to slow the Kohawks down in a 38-point victory.
Anderson, who led the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) last season in double-doubles, finished the night with a team-high 17 points and ten-rebounds performance to lead the purple and gold. Born and Hutson both finished with 14 points each, with Wolf dropping 13 points in the exhibition win. Pock tallied nine points for UNI, as Nate Heise scored seven points in his first game back from injury last year.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
All 14 Panthers that dressed in Wednesday’s exhibition saw playing time on the court with 11 scoring.
UNI outrebounded Coe 36-16 in Wednesday’s win, including 8-2 in offensive boards.
The Panthers doubled up the Kohawks in the paint, outscoring Coe 48-24 inside the lane.
UP NEXT
The Panthers will open the 2023-24 regular season next Tuesday, Nov. 7 on the road against the reigning NIT champion North Texas Mean Green. Opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT with live coverage available on ESPN+ and on the Panther Sports Radio Network.
