UNI recommits to defense in 71-63 win at Drake

DES MOINES - Turnarounds have occurred at varying degrees for the Northern Iowa and Drake men's basketball teams in the last month.

UNI coach Ben Jacobson noticed his team's switch get flipped in the first meeting with Drake, although the transformation really began in earnest 10 days ago. The underlying factor that has to carry the Panthers is locked-down defense.

That recommitment to getting stops is what helped Northern Iowa leave the Knapp Center with a 71-63 win against Drake on Saturday afternoon in front of 5,237 people - the largest crowd of the season.

The Panthers (10-11, 5-5) are winners of five-straight Valley matchups and are tied with the Bulldogs (7-15, 5-5) in the middle of the conference standings.

'You get tired of having guys drive by you,” Jacobson said. 'You get tired of giving up layups, you get tired of giving up open 3s. At some point you get tired of that stuff. I give our guys credit for responding to that challenge and making a difference there.”

Northern Iowa raced out to a 14-2 lead almost seven minutes into the game while Drake started 1-for-10 from the field. The Bulldogs made 5 of their next 7 shots to get within six, and the Panthers were scoreless for nearly the last seven minutes of the half and held a three-point lead at the break.

Drake rattled off four-straight buckets to start the second half to tie the game at 31-all. The Bulldogs snagged a 37-36 lead with 13:33 left, but went on to miss their next nine shots while Northern Iowa retook a seven-point lead.

'I think (the Panthers) communicate really well,” said Drake guard Ore Arogundade, who had 15 points. 'They're in the right place at the right time always. They're very well coached. They just execute offensively and defensively really well so it's just hard to find chances to score in those gaps.”

UNI forward Klint Carlson had 17 points and six rebounds in 39 minutes while Bennett Koch and Jeremy Morgan each poured in 16. Drake guard Reed Timmer had 10 points while the Bulldogs struggled from outside, shooting 6-for-29 from 3-point range.

Drake - which shot 38.5 percent from the field - was able to climb back to within four, but Northern Iowa was able to connect on 18-of-25 free throw attempts in the second half to help put the game away. Defense, Carlson said, helped buoy the Panthers offense.

'We knew we just had to get going,” Carlson said. 'We went on that little losing streak, but in our heads we were just trying to get better every day in practice. That's what we did.

'We've been working really hard. We each believe in one another, Coach and the staff and he believes in us. It's going to be fun the rest of the year for sure.”

Drake, which started 1-10 this season, won four of its last six games entering Saturday. Jacobson called it 'one of the best stories in college basketball this year.” The Bulldogs aren't trying to think about it in those terms for now, though.

'We're just kind of in our own little bubble, to be honest with you,” said coach Jeff Rutter. 'We're just trying to get better, enjoy the experience, enjoy the journey and just be us.”

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