The U.N.I. Panthers are limping down the home stretch but still hope to turn things around before next week’s Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The Panthers have dropped five of six games since losing senior forward Lucas O’Rear and they will close out the regular season with a visit to Creighton on Saturday afternoon.
The Panthers are 10-8 in the league race after a two point loss at home to Indiana State. U.N.I. coach Ben Jacobson says they have to try to clean up some of the mistakes so they are up and have the possession in the final minutes. The Panthers got a lift from junior guard Johnny Moran in the lossd to Indianas State.
Moran connected on four of six from three point range and finished with 17 points. Jacobson says Moran has played well all year long, but has been overshadowed by some of the other players. Moran says while the Panthers have gone through a tough stretch there is still time to get things turned around.
Moran says they will be fine and they know how well they can play, they just can’t make mistakes that beat themselves. Saturday’s game will be the first of two in a row against Creighton. The teams will meet in the opening round of the Valley tournament next Friday afternoon in St. Louis.