(Photo: Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen)
CEDAR FALLS, Ia. — A determined unit blending elite youth and valued experience set out to restore order in a program full of treasured tradition. Three years with zero winning seasons is too long in Cedar Falls. A decade without a Valley crown sometimes felt like two.
No worries anymore. Northern Iowa has cemented itself back among the league’s elite.
Wednesday, the Panthers finished off the first part of what they hope is an extended stretch of accolades and glory. UNI’s 84-64 win over Evansville secured the program’s first regular-season championship since 2010, also finishing off a perfect home showing at 16-0.