MORAN’S THREE-POINTER GIVES UNI 61-58 WIN AT BRADLEY

The University of Northern Iowa men’s basketball team picked up its school-record 11th straight win tonight at Bradley, and the Panthers did it in amazing fashion.

Freshman guard Johnny Moran drained a three-pointer from the left wing with five seconds left to lift UNI to a thrilling 61-58 come-from-behind victory. The Panthers trailed by eight points with less than four minutes to go, and six with a minute and a half left, but a flurry of treys from Moran and Ali Farokhmanesh brought the Panthers back to stun the 9,556 in attendance at Carver Arena.

Jordan Eglseder and Adam Koch led the Panthers in scoring with 12 points apiece, while Farokhmanesh had 11. Moran had nine points, six assists and three steals, while Kwadzo Ahelegbe had six points and a game-high seven assists. In all, the Panthers had 18 assists on 21 made baskets in the game.

Koch and Eglseder each had four early points and Moran drained a three-pointer from the top of the key to give UNI a 11-4 lead to start the game. Forward Adam Rodenberg later made consecutive layups to build the Panthers lead to 15-8 with 10 minutes to go in the first half.

UNI got a three-pointer from Travis Brown to build its largest lead of the game, 18-10, with 6:39 remaining before halftime. Bradley then went on a 7-0 run to get within 18-17, but the Panthers didn’t give up the lead. UNI scored 10 of the next 13 points, getting three more inside baskets from Eglseder, to move back in front 28-20. UNI went into the locker room with a 30-25 advantage, with Eglseder scoring all 12 of his points and grabbing six boards in the opening half.

Bradley scored the first two baskets of the second half to tie the score at 30-all. UNI got four free throws from Koch, a jumper from Farokhmanesh, and a layup from Ahelegbe, to move back in front, 38-34, with 13:59 left in the game.

The Braves then went n a 10-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from guard Eddren McCain, to regain the lead, 44-38, with 9:12 on the clock. UNI got within two, 46-44, after a pair of Ahelegbe free throws, but Bradley then scored six straight to extend its lead to 52-44 with 4:20 left.

Bradley still held an eight-point lead, 54-46, with 3:30 left, when the Panthers heated up from downtown. Farokhmanesh got things started with a three-pointer from the right corner, and after UNI forced a Bradley miss, Farokhmanesh buried another three to get UNI within 54-52, with 2:40 left.

Bradley regained momentum by getting a layup from Dodie Dunson on the next trip down. Farokhamnesh missed a three-pointer, and BU’s Sam Maniscalco was then fouled and made both free throws to build the Braves’ lead back to six, 58-52, with 1:36 remaining.

On the next trip down, Moran drained a three-pointer from the left corner to get UNI within three, 58-55. The Braves then turned the ball over, and Farokhmanesh got free to hit another from downtown, getting UNI even at 58-all with 47 seconds left.

The next time down the floor, and with the shot clock running down, Maniscalco drove the lane for Bradley. But his layup with 17 seconds left missed, and Koch secured the rebound for the Panthers. UNI head coach Ben Jacobson elected not to take a timeout, calling a play from the sideline. Farokhmanesh drove off a ball screen at the top of the key with eight seconds left, Moran curled back behind him, and Farokhmanesh found Moran behind the arc. The 6-2 freshman then buried his three-pointer with five seconds left to put UNI in front, 61-58. Bradley’s McCain got off a three-pointer with one second left, but it misfired, and the Panthers earned the win.

UNI shot 53 percent from the field for the game, including 7-for-15 on three-pointers, while holding Bradley to 39 percent shooting, and 2-for-13 from behind the arc. The Panthers came into the game tied with the school’s 1963-64 team for the longest winning streak in school history at 10, but now stands alone in Panther annals with its 11-game winning streak.

With the win, UNI improved to 17-6 overall, 11-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference, while Bradley fell to 13-10 overall, 7-5 in the Valley. The Panthers’ next game is this Sunday (Feb. 8), when they play host to Creighton. Tip off from the McLeod Center is set for 1:05 pm.