Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Indiana State took a late lead at nationally-ranked Northern Iowa, but the Panthers got a key 3-point play with just over a minute remaining en route to a 66-60 victory over the visiting Sycamores insie McLeod Center.
The Sycamores fell to 9-10, 5-2 MVC while No. 19/20 UNI improved to 17-2, 6-1 MVC.
Justin Gant and Brenton Scott paced the Sycamores with 13 points while Devonte Brown added 10. The Sycamores hit 21-of-52 shots from the field (40.4 percent) and hit 12-of-16 free throws (75 percent). Gant also paced the team with seven rebounds.
A Gant 3-pointer at the 8:52 mark was followed by a Brenton Scott driving lay-up and a UNI lead which had peaked at 12 points in the first half had been ground all the way down to just 46-45 with 7:43 remaining. Scott made it a 9-0 run as the Sycamore defense held the Panthers without a field goal for more than three minutes.
The Sycamore run reached 11-0 as Gant hit a lay-up to give Indiana State its first advantage since the first minute of the contest at 47-46. Wes Washpun was fouled at the 5:09 mark and hit both charity tosses as the Panthers went ahead 48-47. UNI made it four points in a row at the free throw line with a pair by Jeremy Morgan at the 4:34 mark to stretch the lead back out to 50-47.
The Panthers lead would grow to five points, but a conventional 3-point play by Brenton Scott with 2:40 on the clock made it 52-50. Each team traded defensive stops as the clock ticked under two minutes to go. Tuttle hit a pair of free throws and Scott countered with one at the 1:41 mark to cut the Panther lead down to 54-51.
With 1:06 to go, Seth Tuttle notched a conventional 3-point play to stretch the lead out to 57-51. The Sycamores got two looks at the basket to answer, but UNI got the rebound and hit their foul shots to make it an eight point game. Brown then drove the lane at the 46.4 second mark to cut the Panther lead down to 59-53.
Scott's two free throws with 43 seconds remaining cut the Panther lead once again down to six points. But the Panthers continued to hit their free throws before Bennett answered with a banked in 3-pointer at the 32.6 second mark to draw within 63-58. The Panthers missed both free throws and Brown was fouled with 14.8 to go. Brown hit both to get the Sycamores within 63-60. Tuttle hit 1-of-2 free throws and two good looks wouldn't fall for the Sycamores. UNI tacked on two more charity tosses for the 66-60 victory.
The Sycamores scored first on their second possession of the game when reigning MVC Newcomer of the Week Brenton Scott hit a 3-pointer at the 18:55 mark to answer an early Seth Tuttle field goal. From there, the Panthers would score eight in a row heading into the first media timeout for a 10-3 advantage. T. J. Bell checked into the game and drilled a jumper at the 15:07 mark to draw the Sycamores within five points, but the Panthers countered with five in a row for a 15-5 lead.
Grant Prusator hit a trifecta for the Sycamores as the clock ticked towards the 12 minute mark and then Devonte Brown added a jumper in the paint to draw Indiana State within 17-10 at the 11:12 mark. A pair of Scott charity tosses with just over 10 minutes on the clock made it a five-point game.
A Panther 3-pointer from Matt Bohannon was answered with a driving lay-up by Alex Etherington which cut the UNI lead down to 20-14. Consecutive 3-pointers by Deon Mitchell stretched the Panther advantage out to 26-14, but Gant stopped the bleeding at the 6:50 mark with his own trifecta to get the Sycamores within 26-17. The Sycamore run continued as Bell scored again down low with 4:16 remaining to cut the UNI cushion down to just points. Brown hit a charity toss after the final media timeout and the Sycamores found themselves down just 26-21.
The Panthers did take a late 10-point lead, but Jake Kitchell scored down low with 35 seconds remaining to cut it to 31-23 at the break. Scott paced the Sycamores with five points at the half.
Northern Iowa was able to score first in the second half to regain their 10-point lead, but inside buckets from Gant and Brown cut the Panther advantage down to 34-27 at the 15:51 mark. Tre' Bennett found his mark from distance with just over 14 minutes remaining in regulation to get the Sycamores within 36-30.
Bell continued his strong game with a conventional 3-point play with 12:20 remaining to cut the Panther lead down to 38-34. Six in a row by the Panthers stretched the cushion back out to 44-34, but Gant scored a lay-up and consecutive jumpers in the paint by Khristian Smith as the clock ticked towards nine minutes remaining made it a 46-40 UNI lead.
A defensive stop and a Gant 3-pointer made it 46-43 with 8:40 remaining and the Sycamores where as close to the lead as they had been since the opening moments of the game.
Matt Bohannon led the Panthers with 17 points.
Indiana State returns home to face Loyola on Saturday, January 24. The Sycamores and Ramblers will tip-off at 1:05 p.m. (ET) inside Hulman Center.
