CEDAR FALLS, Ia. — Rolling around in the Valley mud is where Northern Iowa found itself for a second straight game. The Panthers couldn’t slog through this one.
Three days after a solid conference-opening win at Bradley that featured vintage lockdown defense and enough offensive help, UNI ran out of gas in Saturday’s league home opener.
The Panthers’ chance to start 2-0 in Valley play for the first time in nine years evaporated as Southern Illinois gutted out a 58-51 win at the McLeod Center.
No team led by more than six in the second half until the final score — but UNI (6-9, 1-1 Missouri Valley Conference) sputtered in the final minutes as Southern Illinois put things away at the free-throw line.