UNI men’s basketball races past last-place Valpo

CEDAR FALLS — Northern Iowa extended Valparaiso’s losing streak to 11 games with a dominant, 68-54, Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball win at McLeod Center Tuesday night.

After opening the game on an 11-2 run, the Panthers (17-13, 10-8) offense briefly stalled and allowed the Beacons (6-24, 2-17) to get back within four with 6:14 left in the first half.

Bowen Born — who finished with 12 points — scored eight in UNI’s game-opening run and ignited what became a 19-6 surge to end the first half with four straight points.

Trey Campbell added an elbow jumper before Landon Wolf slammed home a one-handed, driving dunk and followed it with a left corner 3. A Kyle Pock free throw and Nate Heise 3 and jumper followed and the Panthers entered the break up 38-21 — a season-low in points allowed in a half.

“I (liked) the defensive effort in the first half, especially the first seven, eight minutes of the game,” UNI Coach Ben Jacobson said. “I thought our switching was good. Our rebounding was good. Able to get out and get some good opportunities (on offense).”

A Jacob Hutson dunk began the second half and proved to be a sign of things to come for the Beacons in the final 20 minutes.

UNI grew its 17-point halftime lead to a game-high 25 with an 11-0 run that featured seven bench points, highlighted by a two-handed Cole Henry dunk assisted by RJ Taylor in a pick-and-roll.

Wolf led UNI with a team-high 14 points off the bench and was joined in double figures by Born and Tytan Anderson. Anderson — who played only 21 minutes — nearly finished with a triple-double, scoring 11, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out a career-high eight assists.

“He’s gotten himself down in (the weight room) an extra time or two a week in addition to the two times that we’re (lifting) as a team and I know he’s been pushing more weight around here over the last six weeks than he would’ve a year ago (from) playing so many minutes and being a little banged up a year ago,” Jacobson said. “All those things really matter this time of year. He’s doing a lot to make sure he’s ready.”

The Panthers also finished with more than 20 fast-break points (23) for the second consecutive game — the third time they’ve eclipsed 20 fast-break points all season.

“I think the way we’ve been practicing (has) helped (me) out a lot. We’ve been going up and down. We’ve been trying new things and we found something that’s clicking and that’s been working for us,” Anderson said. “Credit to our defense. We’ve been getting stops and (have an) emphasis on playing faster. Just want to get those stops (so) we get the ball out quick.”

UNI travels to Southern Illinois (19-10, 11-7) Sunday for its regular-season finale at 1 p.m. (ESPN+).

With a win, the Panthers would clinch either the 3 or 4-seed and one of the MVC Tournament’s four first-round byes as long as Bradley defeats SIU Wednesday night, or Belmont loses either of its two remaining regular-season games at Murray State on Wednesday or at home against Evansville on Sunday.

“It’s what I talked most about with the guys after (the game) was the opportunity to be in a game like the one that’s coming on Sunday,” Jacobson said. “You gotta earn that and the guys have been able to do it over the last three weeks. It’s going to be a big crowd and they are playing good basketball. And it’s going to be a hell of a game.”