UNI getting to finer details of its defense with Drake win

CEDAR FALLS — With the reputation No. 14/15 Northern Iowa has built defensively this season, certain expectations have come along with how often and how easily its opponents score.

So when Drake scored 20 points within the first 10 minutes of the second half on Saturday night — after 20 the entire first half — and pulled the Panthers' (22-2, 11-1 Missouri Valley Conference) lead down to 51-42 with 9:25 left, the tension was palpable in the McLeod Center.

But as has happened more often than not this season, UNI gathered itself during a timeout, returned to form and ran away from the Bulldogs (7-17, 4-8), 69-53.

'Drake hit back to back jumpers (in the first half), scored a quick five points, and I told the guys at halftime it felt like the roof was going to cave in after two baskets. And that's good,' said Coach Ben Jacobson. 'When they score and it feels like something's wrong, that's good. Guys need to feel that way. That should be the feeling in our building when people score two or three times in a row. We've got to be tough enough to get stops.

'(The second half lull) was more about asking them to get together and find three stops in a row. We hadn't done that for the first 10 minutes of the second half. And talked to them about doing it the way we do in practice every day.'

It's next to impossible to play the defense the Panthers are capable of playing for an entire 40 minutes of basketball — people aren't perfect, after all, and mistakes happen.

Matt Bohannon, who was a perfect 5 of 5 from the field and 4 of 4 from 3-point range for 14 points, said they don't expect a flawless game — even if that's always the level they want to attain defensively. The goal, then, becomes making those sluggish moments as short as possible and getting back in form.

'It's noticeable because we know we're not doing the things we're supposed to be doing in that lull,' Bohannon said. 'But the more you can get out of the lull as quick as you can and keep doing the things you know you're capable of doing, the better off you'll be. … Our goal is to end them as quickly as we can and get back to doing what we know we can do.'

Bohannon was joined in double figures by leading-scorer Seth Tuttle, who had 16 points on 6 of 8 shooting, three rebounds and four assists, and Paul Jesperson, who had 12 points on 4 of 5 shooting from 3-point range.

The ability to bounce back from moments where the team isn't executing — and shoot themselves out of it like that on offense — comes from the confidence with which UNI is playing these days. The Panthers were 'leveled off' both physically and emotionally before the big win last week against Wichita State, but feel reinvigorated since.

Jacobson said 'that time of year; end of January,' gets that way for every team. Ultimately, the stretch he talked about and how UNI has come out of it playing as good as ever is analogous to the way Saturday night's game played out.

The Panthers know who they are and are confident in what they do, and feel they can work themselves back from anything.

'The guys were able to stick with it and get some things done in those games and get through that part of the season,' Jacobson said. 'Now it feels like we've got our energy back, we've got our enthusiasm back. That, I think, has been key to why we've been able to get some double-digit (wins).'

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