ST. LOUIS — Northern Iowa men’s basketball advanced to the 2022 Arch Madness semifinals with a 78-65 win over Illinois State on Friday. The Panthers will face the winner of Friday’s game between Loyola Chicago and Bradley.
The Redbirds may have scored the first points of the game, but it was pretty much UNI from there. The Panthers built a solid lead over Illinois State that never wavered, having a 16-point advantage in the second half.
“For me, our passes were great,” head coach Ben Jacobson said after the game. “Noah (Carter) had five and AJ (Green) had seven; there’s 12 assists between those two guys sitting here. As everyone knows, they’re our top two scorers.
“Just the pace we played, our passing was really good. But what I liked the most today was our defence. We really kept today and it was great.”
Green led the Panthers with 17 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Carter had 16 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Continued:How to watch UNI at the Missouri Valley Conference tournament
Northern Iowa bench strength shines against Illinois State
UNI’s success off the bench is one of the main reasons the Panthers won the MVC regular season title. Any team with Green is going to be dangerous, but UNI’s bench is good enough that Green doesn’t have to play a full 40 minutes. In addition, the Panthers bench is full of talent.
For starters, there’s last season’s Valley freshman, Bowen Born. He’s still one of the quickest players on the pitch, and he uses quick feet and active hands to be a pest in defense. He finished with seven points, two rebounds and a steal.
“His speed matters to us,” Jacobson said. “His ability to turn the corner and go through guys, get around a hurdle by a bigger defender. So his speed and then, two, it’s a little bit different. AJ can kick the ball and now he’s in a different place on the pitch, and those two things have been really good for our offense.”
Continued:Northern Iowa Basketball’s Bowen Born Returning From Injury Wins Sixth Man of the Year
Austin Phyfe is another player who has contributed on the bench for the Panthers. He was a dominant rebounder in the first half and finished Friday’s game against Illinois State with six points, two rebounds and a block. His connection with Green under the basket is dangerous to say the least.
The Panthers don’t need AJ Green…but he’s definitely helping
There’s no denying that Green is one of the best – if not the best – players in the Valley. It’s no mistake that he was named Player of the Year this season, winning the award for the second time in his career.
But Illinois State was able to hold off Green in Friday’s quarterfinal game, at least in the first 20 minutes. He only had seven points in the first half, while he also turned the ball over twice. Green recorded three assists and two rebounds in the first frame, so the Redbirds didn’t stop him completely.
Continued:Could Drake or UNI Men’s Basketball make the NCAA Tournament as an all-around team?
Green elevates the game and quickly helps his teammates score. He can do a bit of everything on the pitch, and that’s what makes him such a valuable player. Here’s the thing, though: UNI have a lot of valuable players.
So when green is limited in a game, there are many other options that escalate. Carter and Trae Berhow showed it against Illinois State. Not all teams have this advantage. Antonio Reeves is a dominating player for Illinois State, but he needs a few more pieces to help the Redbirds do what Northern Iowa did on Friday.
Continued:What must UNI men’s basketball do to win Arch Madness?
UNI could have a tough rematch in Saturday’s semi-final
With the win over Illinois State, Northern Iowa will advance to the semifinal game on Saturday, March 5 at 2:30 p.m. The Panthers will face the winner of the Loyola-Bradley game Friday afternoon. .
Arch Madness No. 3 seed Loyola is the favorite to beat Bradley, although one of the Ramblers’ regular-season wins over the Braves was decided in overtime. But if Loyola succeeds, the road to the championship will be difficult for UNI.
The Panthers and Loyola last played on Saturday, February 26. It was another high-stakes game, with UNI claiming both the MVC regular season title and the No. 1 seed in this year’s tournament.
“Obviously playing them in our last regular season game was a great game,” Carter said. “With all the post-season games, it doesn’t matter who you play, it’s going to be tough. We (have to) just adopt the same mindset that we had today…in whoever it is against whom we we will face tomorrow.
“Stick to what we do and play our team basketball, and we’ll have a good game.”
Alyssa Hertel is a college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at [email protected] or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
