Evansville, Ind. — The UNI men’s basketball held off a second half Evansville rally on Wednesday night as the Panthers defeated the Purple Aces 64-59 at the Ford Center in southern Indiana.
UNI improves to 10-9 on the season and 5-3 in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) action, while the Aces fall to 5-14 and 1-7 in league play.
The Panthers jumped out to a quick start offensively, but struggled to defend Evansville’s attack from three-point range. In a defensive battle throughout the game, UNI held the Purple Aces to a single point during a near four-and-a-half-minute stretch during the first half as both teams exchanged shot attempts. Nate Heise and Bowen Born both helped give the Panthers a late spark in the final minutes of the opening open half as UNI closed the first period on a 7-0 run to lead 35-27 at halftime.
The Panthers extended the lead to 15 points early into the second half, thanks to control of the defensive rebounding game. Evansville however continued a hot hand of shooting from beyond the arc, hitting 46.7% from three-point range in the second half while also recording 11 total steals on defense. Leaning on the inside game of Nate Heise, the Panthers were able to maintain the lead for the entirety of the second half, icing the game away at the free throw line in the final minutes to hold on for the 5-point victory.
AJ Green led UNI with a game-high 18 points and 3 assists in the win. Green reached a major career milestone early in the first half scoring his 1,500th career point on his second made shot of the night. Heise posted 12 points and a team-high 7 rebounds for the Panthers. While both Noah Carter and Trae Berhow scored 9 points. Bowen Born scored 9 points off the bench, as Cole Henry laid in two shots for 4 points.
The Panthers return to action on Jan. 29 at home against Illinois State for the Hope Always Game. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT at the McLeod Center.
