UNI Uses Record-Breaking Night to Down Evansville, 95-81

It was a record-breaking night for the University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team as the Panthers swept the season series against the Evansville Purple Aces with a 95-81 victory in the McLeod Center.

UNI (11-10 overall, 5-4 MVC) drained a school-record 17 3-pointers in the triumph. The previous mark of 15 had been set on five previous occasions (most recently: Jan. 12, 2013 vs. Bradley).

Evansville's D.J. Balentine set the McLeod Center scoring record with 43 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the floor and 19-of-21 at the free throw line (also McLeod Center record for free throws made and free throws attempted by a single player). Balentine's 43 points tied for the third-highest single-game scoring output this season in NCAA Division I basketball. Evansville fell to 10-12 overall and 3-6 in the MVC.

The Panthers finished with four players in double figures led by 20 points each from Deon Mitchell and Seth Tuttle. Matt Bohannon drained 6-of-9 from 3-point land and finished with 19 points. Wes Washpun added 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting that included him making both of his 3-point field goal attempts. Washpun has made seven consecutive 3-pointers.

UNI stayed perfect at home this season improving to 8-0 in the McLeod Center. UNI has also defeated 11 consecutive MVC opponents in the McLeod Center.

Next Up: UNI will play host to Indiana State on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the McLeod Center.

NOTES:

• Seth Tuttle was honored prior to the game for becoming the 37th member of UNI's 1,000-point scoring club
• Tuttle has scored 20 or more points in 10 career games
• Deon Mitchell has scored 20 or more points seven times in his Panther career
• UNI has made at least one 3-pointer in 450 consecutive games
• it was UNI's first season sweep of Evansville since the 2008-09 MVC campaign
• UNI has swept 24 MVC opponents in a season series under the direction of head coach Ben Jacobson
• It is the fourth time this season that UNI has scored 90 or more points, which ranks as the fourth-most in a single-season since the Panthers moved to NCAA Division I