Cedar Falls, IA (SportsNetwork.com) - Seth Tuttle scored 24 points and pulled in nine rebounds as his Northern Iowa Panthers knocked off North Dakota, 64-52, in a non-conference season-opening matchup at McCleod Center.

Wes Washpun converted 7-of-10 free throw attempts and contributed a total of 15 points for the Panthers (1-0). Nate Buss scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds, and Deon Mitchell led the Panthers with five assists.

Jaron Nash, Terrel de Rouen and Quinton Hooker each scored 11 points each for North Dakota (0-1). Nash and Josiah Coleman pulled down a team-high five boards apiece in the loss.

The Panthers held a slim 31-29 lead over North Dakota at the end of the first half, despite its bench outscoring North Dakota's 18-5. The teams were neck and neck in the opening 20 minutes, as there were 10 lead changes and eight ties.

UNI pulled away in the second half, outscoring UND 20-8 on points in the paint. North Dakota didn't help its cause by converting only six of its 11 attempts at the free throw line.

Northern Iowa's bench played a big part in the victory, as the Panthers outscored North Dakota's bench, 30-12. UNI also distributed the ball much better as it had 12 assists to UND's four. The Panthers outscored North Dakota 28-14 in points in the paint.