CEDAR FALLS – UNI men’s basketball will attempt to tie its longest winning streak of the season in the midst of a hot hand on Saturday night as the Panthers host the Southern Illinois Salukis inside the McLeod Center in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) action.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT with live coverage available on CBS Sports Network and the Panther Sports Radio Network. Tickets are available for purchase online at UNIpanthers.com/tickets, or by calling the ticket office at 319-273-4849. Fans will also receive free rollabannas upon entry to the building.
Northern Iowa will look to score a fourth straight victory and continue its climb up the MVC standings as part of an impressive stretch in the previous ten games. The Panthers have won eight of their last ten contests dating back to early December, including seven of their last eight. Despite Southern Illinois carrying a 39-36 lead in the all-time series, UNI has been dominant at home against the Salukis. The Panthers are 15-1 in their last 16 home games against SIU and have not given up more than 60 points to the Salukis since 2008.
Head coach Ben Jacobson will also have the opportunity to move past Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach Henry P. Iba (Oklahoma State) and break the MVC’s all-time record for wins against conference opponents. Jacobson, the second winningest coach in league history in overall games (344), is currently tied with Iba with 187 triumphs in conference play.
Most MVC Wins (Conference only games)
T1st – Henry P. Iba (Oklahoma State) – 187
T1st Ben Jacobson (UNI) – 187
3rd – Dana Altman (Creighton) – 182
4th – Eddie Hickey (Creighton/Saint Louis) – 163
5th – Barry Hinson (Missouri State/Southern Illinois) – 155
Northern Iowa returns home after a two-game road trip and an impressive outing in an 83-72 win at Belmont on Wednesday night in its first-ever victory over the Bruins. After a first half that featured 12 combined three-point baskets, the Panthers effectively shut down Belmont’s long range game and dominated the second period on defense, finishing offensively with a 51.8% shooting clip.
Nate Heise finished the night with his third double-double of the season with a team-high 20 points and ten rebounds, while also notching a career-best eight-assists performance. Trey Campbell recorded 15 points in the Panther win with three made three-pointers, plus a career-best five assists in a season-high 37 minutes, while both Bowen Born and Tytan Anderson notched 13 points each. Jacob Hutson tallied eight total points with a career-high two blocks, as Cole Henry tied his season-highs in points (7), assists (4) and made field goals (3).
Both Born and Heise lead the Panthers with a 14.4 point per game average, with Heise notching 5.9 rebounds a game and a team-high 51 assists and 12 blocks. Born, meanwhile, enters Saturday night with the nation’s third-best free throw percentage at 96.1%, shooting 50-of-52 on the year. The junior guard from Norwalk, Iowa has also recorded double-digit points in ten of his last 11 games, averaging 17.4 points during that span, including a season-high 31-point outing at Toledo.
Anderson leads Northern Iowa with 6.1 rebounds a game, and is riding a 50-game streak of scoring at least one point, the longest stretch among active Panthers while maintaining an 11.4 points per game average. At the three-point arc, Trey Campbell is shooting 48.4% to average 9.1 points a game, while Hutson posts UNI’s highest shooting clip at 55% with a career-best 9.1 points per game as the Panthers’ key inside man.
Landon Wolf seeks to reach 300 career points with his next five points, with Anderson needing 15 points to surpass 700 points. Michael Duax can also surpass 200 career rebounds with his next three boards.
Northern Iowa also seeks to inch closer to another team milestone, approaching its 200th win inside the McLeod Center. The Panthers carry a 198-62 (.761) record inside their home arena since the building opened in November 2006.
UNI is 82-12 (.872) under head coach Ben Jacobson when scoring 80+ points, and have won 20 of its last 25 games when scoring 80 or more points.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS
The Salukis visit Cedar Falls in the midst of a two-game skid, coming off a devastating 23-point second half collapse in a 70- 69 home loss to Bradley on Wednesday. After being selected ninth in the MVC’s preseason poll, SIU has started the season strong with a 12-6 record, but have faced challenges since the beginning of league play.
UNI will face a critical test in slowing down graduate guard Xavier Johnson, a Preseason Third Team All-MVC selection who currently boasts the nation’s second-best scoring average with 23.5 points a game. Johnson also leads the Salukis in assists (111) and steals (29). With Johnson as Southern Illinois’ lone double-digit scorer, Clarence Rupert leads the Salukis off the glass with 6.1 rebounds a game and 19 blocks, while Trent Brown proves to be a solid all-around shooter from all areas of the floor.
Getting past SIU’s defense will be key for the UNI offense as the Salukis bring the MVC’s second-best scoring defense to town. The Saluki defense has given up just 64.8 points a game and are one of the best three-point defending programs in the country, holding opponents to 27.6% shooting beyond the arc. Southern Illinois, however, is the second-most penalized team in the league.
UNI men’s basketball (10-8 / 3-3 MVC) vs. Southern Illinois (12-6 / 4-3 MVC)
Jan. 20, 2023 | 7 p.m. CT
Cedar Falls, Iowa | McLeod Center (6,650)
CBS Sports Network (Chris Hassell: Play-by-Play / Michael O’Donnell: Analyst)
Panther Sports Radio Network (J.W. Cox: Play-by-Play / Kevin Boyle: Analyst)