Discovering Excellence: The University of Northern Iowa Experience

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The UNI men’s basketball squad maintained the lead for nearly all of the 53 seconds on Tuesday evening, resulting in a victory against the Evansville Purple Aces, concluding at 73-56 in the McLeod Center during Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) action.

In spite of a challenging shooting performance from one of the top shooting teams in the nation, Northern Iowa’s reserves and their efforts to secure points both in the paint and from long range enabled the Panthers to achieve their 11th straight home win over the Purple Aces.

Tuesday’s game also marked a significant milestone for head coach Ben Jacobson, as he became the inaugural coach in MVC men’s basketball history to attain 200 wins in conference competition, an accomplishment that followed just a year after becoming the league’s all-time leader in conference-only victories.

THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

Following a sluggish offensive start from both squads, UNI surged ahead with a comfortable margin while limiting the Evansville offense to merely 22% shooting in the initial half. Tytan Anderson exerted pressure in the paint for the Panthers, contributing ten points and five rebounds in the first half, while Max Weisbrod successfully landed two of UNI’s first four three-point attempts, totaling eight points in the opening period. Northern Iowa extended its lead to double digits through an 18-2 surge during a ten-minute span of the half, while both teams faced scoring droughts, leading UNI to a 32-18 advantage at halftime.

In the second half, UNI needed to surmount turnovers and shooting difficulties, yet they preserved a double-digit cushion over the Purple Aces throughout the final 20 minutes of the match. With Evansville grappling with foul issues resulting in four players disqualified, UNI enhanced its margin as Will Hornseth drove into the paint for ten points on four-of-five shooting in the second half, while Trey Campbell made two of the Panthers’ three three-pointers in that period. By dominating the rebounding statistics and collecting six offensive boards in the second half, Northern Iowa comfortably secured a 17-point win.

Anderson concluded the evening with 15 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, while Hornseth’s influence inside led to a career-best 12-point game. Schwieger also celebrated a career night with ten points and a personal record of 12 rebounds for his inaugural career double-double, while Campbell also contributed ten points through three successful three-pointers. Jacob Hutson added nine points in the UNI victory, and Weisbrod chipped in eight points.

FURTHER NOTES

• UNI enhances its historical record to 37-30 against Evansville. Tuesday’s contest was the only regular season encounter between the two teams this year.
• Northern Iowa’s defense limited the Purple Aces to just 18% shooting from beyond the arc (4-for-22), marking the lowest shooting percentage from three-point range by an opponent this season.
• The Panther reserves outscored Evansville 23-9.
• Tytan Anderson surpassed 700 career rebounds during the victory over the Purple Aces. He is now only 15 assists away from joining Seth Tuttle (2011-15), Eric Coleman (2004-08), and Ron Lemons (1975-79) as the fourth player in program history to amass 1,000 points, 700 rebounds, and 200 assists in a UNI career.
• Ben Schwieger is just 35 points shy of reaching his 500th career point. The Aurora, Illinois native previously scored 290 points across two seasons at Loyola-Chicago (2022-24).

LOOKING FORWARD

Northern Iowa will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 18, as they head to Carbondale to face the Southern Illinois Salukis. The game is set to tip off at 6 p.m. CT at the Banterra Center, with live coverage provided on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network.

UNI men’s basketball updates can be followed throughout the season on social media platforms like Facebook (UNI Men’s Basketball), X (@UNImbb), and Instagram (@uni_basketball). The complete 2024-25 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and updates, can be accessed online at UNIpanthers.com.