The 24th ranked U.N.I. Panthers claimed the Missouri Valley regular season championship with a 70-52 win over Creighton in Cedar Falls. Senior guard Ali Farokmanesh led U.N.I. with five 3’s and a total of 17 points. Sophomore Johnny Moran also had 17 points. It is the Panthers first outright Valley title.

U.N.I. coach Ben Jacobson says he’s most proud of how the team prepares, the extra work they do in shooting and watching film. The Panthers connected on 13-of-27 from three point range. Jacobson says it just felt like they had real control of what they were doing offensively and got rolling and says “that was fun.”

U.N.I. is 14-2 in the Valley and 32-2 overall.

Elwin Huffman KOEL Oelwein