The U.N.I. Panthers will look to avenge one of their toughest losses of the season tonight as they host Bradley in their final regular season game at the McLeod Center. U.N.I. let a 16 point second half lead slip away in their first meeting with the Braves, a 78-67 loss back on January 15.
A big part of the Bradley comeback that night was their switch to a zone defense, something that U.N.I. coach Ben Jacobson says the Panthers have seen a lot of since that game. He says they’ve played well against the zone in those other games and says they are much more confident against it.
Jacobson says that with six weeks between meetings, you can expect both teams to be playing a little differently, and playing a little better than they were in mid-January. He says the game was long enough ago that both teams are doing some things better and maybe struggling in other areas.
The Panthers have just one senior this year, and Jacobson is encouraging Panther fans to come out to honor Johnny Moran as he plays his final game at the McLeod Center. “Obviously it would take me too long to talk through all the things that he has done for the program,” Jacobson says.
U.N.I.’s ticket office is offering four packs of tickets to tonight’s game for thirteen dollars, since Moran wears number thirteen.
By Jesse Gavin, KCNZ, Cedar Falls