GAME NOTES: A pair of teams with identical records face off against each other in the championship round of the Cancun Challenge, as the Northwestern Wildcats clash with the Northern Iowa Panthers.

The Wildcats, still undefeated at 5-0 on the campaign, took care of business against Miami-Ohio on Tuesday by capturing a 55-46 victory. The 55 points were the fewest tallied by the team thus far, but at the same time the 46 points allowed were also the best effort by the Northwestern defense.

The Panthers have also won all five of their games to this point, four of them by double figures. Yesterday was more of the same as the team dismissed Virginia Tech by a score of 73-54 in the tournament.

According to Northwestern sources, this is the first game between the schools on the basketball court.

Against the RedHawks on Tuesday, Northwestern shot only 39.6 percent from the floor and turned the ball over 16 times, but still played well enough to pull off the nine-point victory. Vic Law and Alex Olah both tallied 13 points, the latter clearing eight rebounds and blocking four shots, while Tre Demps chipped in with 11 points off the bench.

Demps may be coming off the bench exclusively to this point and yet he is still the leading scorer for the Wildcats with his 11.8 ppg as he shoots a mere 37.3 percent from the floor and 29.2 percent behind the 3-point line. Law checks in with 10.4 ppg and 6.6 rpg for a squad that is generating 65.2 ppg, while permitting 58.8 ppg.

The Panthers scored the first points of the game against Virginia Tech and never looked back, converting an even 50 percent from the field and outscoring the Hokies by an 18-3 margin at the free-throw line. Matt Bohannon tallied 13 points, leading four players in double figures, followed by Seth Tuttle with 11. Nate Buss and Marvin Singleton both dropped in 10 points, the latter stepping into the lane and pulling down a game-high nine rebounds as well.

Perhaps most impressive about the UNI offense in the early going is that there have been four different leading scorers through five games. Tuttle, a 68.4 percent shooter from the floor, is responsible not only for 15.8 ppg but also 6.8 rpg, followed by Wes Washpun, a reserve who is good for 11.4 ppg, even though he came up short of that on Tuesday,

Both of these teams focus most of their energy at the defensive end of the floor, so points will be at a premium on Wednesday night. With a more balanced scoring attack, expect to see Northwestern rise to the occasion.