UNI missed its first 14 three pointers in last night’s game against Iowa but the Panthers made them down the stretch in a 77-66 win over the 24th-ranked Hawkeyes. Eric Crawford had a career high 24 points to lead UNI. It was a big win for the Panthers who had struggled to a 2-3 start to the season.UNI coach Greg McDermott says the team has baffled him because they’ve practiced better than they played, and he thought they would eventually put it all together. McDermott felt Crawford was ready for a breakout game. He says he’s been telling everyone Crawford’s good, and he says he’s as proud of his defense as he was his offense.Iowa coach Steve Alford says the Panthers made the key plays down the stretch. He says the UNI team has a chance to be very good after getting off to a slow start.The Hawkeyes will have plenty of time to dwell on the loss. They don’t play again until the 22nd when they visit Texas Tech. He says there’s no excuses as they’ve play seven games in 15 days and now have to regroup and play better.
