No. 13 Northern Iowa sets sights on Illinois State

Cedar Rapids, IA (SportsNetwork.com) – Going for their 11th consecutive victory, the 13th-ranked Northern Iowa Panthers will entertain the Illinois State Redbirds in a Missouri Valley Conference clash at the McLeod Center.

Northern Iowa last dropped a contest against Evansville back on Jan. 1. The 11 consecutive wins for the Panthers have boosted their conference record to 11-1, and they get set to host the Redbirds sporting a 12-0 mark at the McLeod Center. The last time out for the Panthers saw them defeat Drake, 69-53.

Illinois State watched as its three-game win streak came to an end against Southern Illinois on Saturday, 65-59. The loss dropped the Redbirds back to 7-5 against MVC competition. But Illinois State does sport a 5-4 mark away from home.

This meeting between Illinois State and Northern Iowa on Wednesday marks the 69th all-time in the series. Illinois State leads that series with a 38-30 margin, but the Panthers closed the gap a bit with a 54-53 victory in Normal, Illinois, on Jan. 25, as they seek the regular-season sweep.

A strong first half for Southern Illinois helped the Salukis pull past Illinois State on Saturday, giving SIU a six-point lead at halftime. The Redbirds weren’t able to make up the difference in the second half, as they watched their three-game win streak come to an end. DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell netted 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds to pace the Redbirds, while Reggie Lynch added 18 points and eight rebounds of his own. Daishon Knight chipped in with 10 points and five boards in the team’s loss, in which Illinois State shot 37 percent from the floor.

Knight checks in atop the scoring chart, owning a 14.4 ppg mark for the Redbirds, who are netting 69.8 ppg this season, which ranks third in the Missouri Valley. Akoon-Purcell is the only other player for Illinois State to chip in a double-digit scoring total this season with 12.2 ppg. Lynch is the next closest on the team to double-digit scoring, adding in 9.5 ppg. His 5.5 rpg mark is just behind Akoon-Purcell’s team-leading 5.7 rpg. Paris Lee had dished out a team-high 88 assists through 23 games played, and has recorded another team best in steals with 59. In a conference that is known for its strong defensive play, the Redbirds check in holding opponents to 61.9 ppg.

Northern Iowa only needed the first half of Saturday’s game against Drake to build up a comfortable lead. The Panthers shot 61.9 percent from the field in the opening frame and gained a 36-20 advantage over the Bulldogs, which allowed the hosts to coast through the second half en route to the victory. Seth Tuttle led all Northern Iowa players with 16 points in the win, while Matt Bohannon contributed with 14 points and Paul Jesperson added in 12. Thanks to a 64.1 percent shooting touch from the floor for the Panthers, the team only needed to grab 20 rebounds in the victory.

Tuttle is the only player for the 13th-ranked Panthers this season with a double-digit scoring total, netting 15.8 ppg on an impressive 61 percent shooting touch. He also leads the team on the boards with a 6.6 rpg mark, and adds in 3.1 apg to pace the squad in the third major offensive category. The Panthers as a unit are scoring 65.0 ppg this season, but the scoring defense for the team is the best in the conference. UNI is holding opponents to a mere 54.5 ppg on just 38.1 percent shooting from the floor. Veteran guard Wes Washpun is the next closest on the team to double-figure scoring at 8.8 ppg, adding in 2.8 apg.

Categorized in: NCAA Basketball