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Northern Iowa Panthers @ Missouri State Bears Basketball RecapNorthern Iowa 60, Missouri State 59
Remember Northern Iowa? You know, the team that knocked off No. 1 Kansas in last year’s NCAA Tournament and nearly toppled mighty Michigan State to reach the Elite Eight in a land called Bracketville? The sons of Cedar Falls, Iowa, are at it again, and the rest of the Missouri Valley Conference doesn’t feel very comfortable at all. Yes, the Northern Iowa Panthers are on the prowl, and the rest of the Valley is taking notice. Once 1-3 in the league, the defending champions have now won seven in a row. Their latest and – genuinely – greatest conquest in the MVC came Sunday night at the JQH Arena in Springfield, Missouri. A gutsy and resilient team of veterans rallied late and defended beyond the call of duty in a one-point thriller that left the Missouri State Bears stunned and disbelieving. A Valley race that was seemingly clear-cut a few weeks ago is now a three-horse race to Arch Madness, otherwise known as the early-March extravaganza known as the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Northern Iowa might not have Ali Farokhmanesh, the sniper who gunned down Kansas and became an overnight sensation during last year’s NCAA Tournament, but UNI still has four core veterans from the 2010 team. They all played their part in this crucial victory over Missouri State, but it was the newbie for the Panthers who made the biggest difference on the road.
Anthony James wasn’t heard from last year as a freshman, but this sophomore certainly emerged from the shadows on Sunday for Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson. James tallied 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting, a performance that was impressive enough when viewed in isolation, but far more marvelous when seen in a broader context. Missouri State coach Cuonzo Martin, a great defender in his playing days under Gene Keady at Purdue, wanted to take away UNI’s big guns: guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe, forward Lucas O’Rear, and forward Jake Koch. The strategy was appreciably successful; Ahelegbe hit just 3 of 10 shots while O’Rear earned just four made baskets and Koch only three. It was only because of James’s ability to step into the breach that UNI stayed as close as it did for as long as it did. Without James’s scoring punch, Missouri State would have enjoyed an advantage much bigger than the 52-44 cushion it owned with 10:07 left in regulation. Northern Iowa was still in the thick of things despite being decisively outplayed.
Then, like all resourceful veteran teams – ballclubs who know what to do when an opponent lets them hang around – Northern Iowa uncorked a strong finishing kick and smothered the Bears with unflinching determination. Over the next nine minutes, until the 1:07 mark of regulation, UNI allowed just three points to Missouri State. The Panthers weren’t shooting the lights out by any stretch, but they patiently cobbled together 12 points in those nine minutes to gain a 56-55 lead. This set the stage for a frantic finish. The final 67 seconds of this pulse-pounder offered punch-counterpunch basketball at its best. Missouri State’s Kyle Weems hit two foul shots with 1:07 to go to put MSU in front, 57-56. Koch answered for UNI, and the Panthers went ahead 58-57 with 46 ticks on the clock. Weems, who finished with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting, drained a cold-blooded jumper with 22 seconds left to put MSU on top, 59-58. However, Northern Iowa – a team hardened by last year’s deep NCAA run – found the fortitude needed to deliver a dagger on the road. Johnny Moran grabbed an offensive rebound with six seconds left and was fouled with five seconds to go. He calmly drained two foul shots to give the Panthers a 60-59 edge, and when MSU’s Adam Leonard missed at the final horn, the defending champion in the Valley had just moved to 8-3 in the league while dragging MSU into a first-place tie with 9-2 Wichita State. The Valley just got crowded, and look who’s directing the increasingly bunched traffic: Northern Iowa, the team that knows how to close the sale in this part of the United States. Missouri State (like Wichita State) needs to be very afraid in the month of February.
By: Matt Zemek |