UNI fans never gave up hope on Panthers

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - They were supposed to be outmatched, outclassed and out of their league.

The University of Northern Iowa

men's basketball team was expected to put up a bit of a fight before bowing to the top-seeded University of Kansas.

But a crazy thing happened on the way to the Jayhawks' potential 2010 national title: They ran into Ben Jacobson's Panthers.

UNI proved the dominant team, trailing only once after Kansas scored the opening bucket, and went on to win 69-67.

"Oh, dude, this is awesome," said Panther fan Ross Reed, a native of Maynard who lives and works in Kansas City.

"This is going to be real sweet," he added. "All my friends are Kansas fans."

UNI president Ben Allen believes the win illustrates much about the college and the Missouri Valley Conference.

"It just shows you the character of this team - and the quality," he said.

That the Panthers could pull off a victory in such convincing fashion, well that was just icing on the cake.

"This is something special," Allen said.

Fans enjoyed many intoxicating moments, starting with an opening run by UNI. The Panthers led by eight points early, stoking the purple nation's imagination. They continued to do everything right through the entire first half, at one point leading by nine.

UNI followed Ali Farokhmanesh and Jordan Eglseder into the break.

"Ali's on fire, and two 3's from the Beast from Bellevue. That's incredible," said Duke Dierks, of Cedar Falls, at halftime. "We played about as well as we could play."

"No one expected us to dominate the first half," Dierks' friend, Lisa Van Allen, added.

Midway through the second half, the Panthers opened up a 12-point lead.

Carlton Reed of Waterloo, a member of last year's squad, called it "a historic moment."

"I knew the guys had a lot of confidence going into the game," Reed said. "Each and every one of them believed they could win the game. I'm not as surprised as people around the country."

Mitch Lingo, UNI class of '08, traveled from Omaha for the game, and it was quite an experience given the driving conditions.

"Eleven and a half hours. It should be seven," he said.

"White-knuckle driving between Topeka and Wichita," Lingo added. "We watched a car wipe out in front of us."

The snowstorm that swept across the plains on the first day of spring perhaps matched at least a few Jayhawks' pregame forecasts: It will be a cold day in hell before UNI beats Kansas.

But win the Panthers did.

"I think it means a lot to the program," Lingo said.

Defeating the No. 1 team in the country on national television, as far as he is concerned, elevates UNI to the cream of athletics in the state of Iowa

and competitive at the highest level of men's college basketball.

Danny Kleinheinz of Cedar Rapids plays trumpet for the UNI pep band. He hit the high notes at both games and at two pregame parties for Panther fans at Pearl's Original Saloon. He also happens to be a senior and on his last leg in college.

The win should solidify UNI's growing fan base, Kleinheinz said, and make McLeod Center the place to be.

"This year, the whole thing's filling up, which is really neat because we have a great basketball team," he said.

Kleinheinz predicted a loss would have little negative impact on UNI athletics. And a win? That can only mean good things.

"I mean, we were playing the No. 1 team in the country. We're trying to take them to a place they've never been before."

Kleinheinz also noted the historic nature of the Panther win. "I feel really lucky that I was here to see it - before I go out into the real world and can't make every game," he said.

Barton Reese, class of 1992, knows something about UNI basketball history. His brother, Jason, is the all-time scoring leader. He pumped in 2,033 points from 1987 to 1990. Jason Reese also tied the mark for field goals in a season in 1989 with 240.

Jason lives in Des Moines and couldn't make the trip to Oklahoma City.

Barton Reese lives in Lee's Summit, Mo. He got primed for Saturday's game at Pearl's Original Saloon, what has become the Panther's home away from home.

A win would have been "monumental," but the loss takes little away from UNI's effort, Barton said.

"This will still be the best team of all time. My brother would second that," he added.

By Dennis Magee, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier,writer