UNI Takes Down MVC-Leading Drake, 68-54

Tuesday, January 16

Cedar Falls, Iowa

7 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

10-9, 2-5MVC

Drake

11-9, 5-2MVC

Drake

UNI

UNI Takes Down MVC-Leading Drake, 68-54

1/16/2018 9:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

BOX SCORE (PDF) | SEASON STATS (PDF)

Cedar Falls, Iowa - The University of Northern Iowa men's basketball squad overcame an early 16-point deficit and posted a 68-54 victory over the league-leading Drake Bulldogs on Tuesday in the McLeod Center.

UNI (10-9 overall, 2-5 MVC) held Drake to a season-low 54 points in front of 3,880 fans. The Panthers got a double-double from freshman Tywhon Pickford with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while senior Bennett Koch contributed 19 points off the bench.

Drake (11-9 overall, 5-2 MVC) got 19 points from senior Reed Timmer and 13 points from junior Nick McGlynn. Drake lost to UNI for the seventh straight time and for the 16th time in 18 matchups.

The Bulldogs pounced early and used a 16-0 run to take a 22-9 lead with 9:32 left in the first half. Drake kept the pedal down and moved the lead to 29-13 with 6:48 remaining before halftime. But the UNI defense locked in and shut out Drake for the remainder of the half. While the Panther defense was purring, the UNI offense closed the half on a 13-0 run that was sparked by a Spencer Haldeman three-pointer with 5:53 left before halftime.

The Panthers pushed the run to 16 straight points to open the second half when sophomore Isaiah Brown knocked down a triple to tie the score at 29-29 with 19:17 left in the game. Drake pushed the lead back to five for the visitors on a bucket from McGlynn and a triple from Timmer.

Drake's Casey Schlatter gave the Bulldogs a 38-37 lead with 15:18 remaining on the clock. Then the Panthers took control of the contest with a decisive 13-0 run to give UNI a 50-38 lead with 10:25 on the clock. The UNI run included a four-point play from Pickford and a conventional three-point play from senior Klint Carlson that was sandwiched around a technical foul on the Drake bench. Haldeman sank both technical free throws and Carlson finished off his three-point play with 10:25 to go.

Timmer hit a three with 6:53 left to cut the margin back to eight at 56-48. Timmer would later nail a pair of three throws to again trim the UNI lead to eight at 56-48 with 6:14 left in the game.

But a pair of three-pointers from Haldeman and Pickford put the contest on ice and gave UNI its second straight Missouri Valley Conference victory.

UNI will be back in action on Sunday at 3 p.m. when the Panthers travel to Carbondale, Illinois, to take on the Southern Illinois Salukis.

NOTES: Pickford has recorded five double-doubles - the most by a UNI player since Seth Tuttle posted five double-doubles in the 2014-15 season ... Pickford's five double-doubles are the most by an MVC freshmen since Wichita State's Jamar Howard posted five double-doubles in the 2001-02 season.