UNI TAKES ON WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY

The University of Northern Iowa men’s basketball team (7-6, 1-1 Missouri Valley Conference) plays its third game in seven days, as it returns home to play host to the Wichita State Shockers (6-7, 0-2 MVC) on Saturday night. Tipoff from the McLeod Center is 7:05 pm.

JUMP BALLS...

UNI have won nine of the last 12 meetings against Wichita State, including sweeping the season series a year ago. The Panthers defeated the Shockers last year at home, 77-75, in the first overtime game in the history of the McLeod Center.

The Panthers 59-51 win at Southern Illinois Dec. 31 was the team’s first victory at SIU Arena since the 1996-97 season, when UNI posted a 92-81 win over the Salukis. It was also just Southern Illinois’ third Missouri Valley Conference home loss since the start of the 2001-02 campaign.

Over its last three games, UNI is shooting 47 percent from three-point range (22-for-47). Sophomore guard Kerwin Dunham is a perfect 4-for-4 on treys during the last three contests, while junior guard Ali Farokhmanesh is 7-for-11 (.636), and freshman guard Johnny Moran is 6-for-12 (500).

Sophomore guard Kerwin Dunham had a season-high 11 points at Southern Illinois Dec. 31. Dunham hit all three three-point attempts versus the Salukis, including draining a three from the right wing with 1:46 left that gave the Panthers a 55-47 lead. Dunham has had great success in his two games at SIU Arena, as he scored a career-high 13 points there as a redshirt freshman on Feb. 20, 2008. Over his two games in Carbondale, Dunham has connected on 8-of-12 shots from the floor and made all five of his free throws.

UNI held Southern Illinois to just 35 percent field goal shooting Dec. 31 in its 59-51 win, the second time in the last three games the Panthers have held their opponent to less than 40 percent shooting. The Salukis connected on 19-of-55 shots from the floor, with the 19 field goals being the fewest UNI has allowed a Division I opponent this season.

UNI ranks second in The Valley in free throw percentage at .767. The Panthers have gotten to the line at least 20 times in seven of 13 games this season, including their last two.