UNI DEFEATS INDIANA STATE, 73-69, IN STATE FARM MVC TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS

Adam Koch and Kwadzo Ahelegbe each scored 19 points to lead the top-seeded University of Northern Iowa Panthers to a 73-69 win over Indiana State this afternoon in the quarterfinals of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball tournament.

Koch hit 7-of-10 shots from the floor and was 4-for-5 at the free throw line, while Ahelegbe was 6-for-13 on field goals, including 2-of-3 from behind the arc. Ahelegbe also grabbed a career-high seven rebounds and dished out five assists. Ali Farokhmanesh chipped in with 13 points, including sealing the victory with two free throws with four seconds left, and Valley Sixth-Man of the Year Lucas O’Rear contributed seven points and eight rebounds. Indiana State’s Rashad Reed led all players with 21 points.

The teams exchanged the lead seven times in the first six minutes of the game, with neither club holding more than a two point edge. With UNI trailing 14-13, Kerwin Dunham drained a three from the left corner, followed by an Eglseder free throw and a pull-up jumper from Ahelegbe, pushing UNI in front, 19-14. After ISU scored, Ahelegbe connected on a three-pointer, giving the Panthers their largest lead, 22-16, with 8:55 left in the first half.

Indiana State responded with three-pointers from Jay Tunnell and Harry Marshall to tie the score at 22. After Koch scored to give the Panthers the lead back, Marshall drained a long trey from the top of the key to give the Sycamores a 25-24 advantage. Indiana State moved in front by as many as three, 32-29, but UNI got two free throws from Ahelegbe and a three-pointer from the corner from Farokhmanesh to move back ahead, 34-32. The teams went into the locker room even at 37 after Reed made a floater in the lane just before the first half horn sounded.

After the teams traded baskets to start the second half, Ahelegbe canned another triple and Koch scored to give UNI a 44-39 lead. The Panthers were in front, 48-45, before the Sycamores scored seven straight, culminated by a Carl Richard three-pointer, to move in front 52-48 with 11:40 left.

The Panthers pulled within 54-52 after a pair of free throws from Eglseder, but Indiana State then got a free throw and a three-pointer from Aaron Carter to open its largest lead, 58-52, with 8:47 on the clock. Koch answered for UNI, scoring twice inside, to get the Panthers within 58-56. After ISU drained a pair of foul shots to go back up by four, UNI went on a run that ended up deciding the game.

The Panthers scored nine straight points, taking the lead for good, 61-60, on an Ahelegbe pull-up jumper in transition with 4:19 left. After Farokhmanesh made one of two from the free throw line and the Panthers forced an ISU miss, Farokhmanesh came off a screen and drained a deep three to push UNI’s advantage to 65-60 with 2:36 remaining.

UNI opened its largest lead of the game, 70-63, with 37 seconds left. The Panthers then missed three of their next four foul shots, and the Sycamores scored three straight baskets, getting within two, 71-69, with four seconds left. But Farokhmanesh was fouled, and the junior guard calmly stepped to the line and drained both free throws to seal the victory for the Panthers.

Both teams shot well, with UNI connecting on 50 percent of its shots and Indiana State making 49 percent of its field goals. The Panthers were 7-for-13 from three-point range (53.8 percent), while the Sycamores were 10-for-25 from downtown (40.0 percent). UNI made up that difference at the free throw line, however, as it made 18 foul shots to just seven by ISU. The Panther also won the rebounding battle, 32-23.

The Panthers improved to 21-10 on the year, while Indiana State’s season ended with an 11-21 record. UNI will face Bradley in tomorrow afternoon’s MVC tournament semifinals, with tip off time from Scottrade Center set for 1:35 pm.