Jan. 18, 2015
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CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Seth Tuttle scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead No. 23-ranked Northern Iowa (16-2, 5-1 MVC) past Missouri State here Sunday, 60-46, in Missouri Valley Conference play.
Tuttle was 9-for-16 from the field with 3 assists and helped UNI out-rebound the Bears by a 37-26 margin. UNI also snagged 18 offensive rebounds, the most by any Missouri State opponent this season.
Missouri State (8-10, 2-4) got 13 points from Austin Ruder and 11 from Dorrian Williams. Loomis Gerring added 5 rebounds, Camyn Boone pitched in 9 points, and Williams contributed 5 assists for the Bears who dropped their fourth straight.
UNI notched 36 points in the paint and posted 15 second-chance points as a team to win its 12th straight game at the McLeod Center.
Tuttle set the pace early by scoring the game's first points just 16 seconds in and mounted 8 points in the first 12 minutes.
After the Panthers took a double-digit lead on a hook shot by Tuttle, the Bears countered with a 3-pointer by Gerring to make it a 15-8 game at the 10:43 mark. But UNI showed the poise and composure of a nationally-ranked club playing on its home floor, reeling of 6 of the game's next 8 points to push ahead 21-10.
Missouri State converted the game's next five points with Boone hitting a free throw, Williams knocking down a jumper from the elbow and Christian Kirk converting a hook shot to make it 21-15.
UNI managed a free throw on its next trip to climb ahead by seven, but Williams scored on the Bears' next possession to get the visitors back within 22-17 at the 4:35 mark.
But Tuttle took things into his own hands and ended a five-minute stretch without a UNI field goal on the Panthers' next possession. He accounted for 8 straight points to help get the UNI back to double-digits, 32-20, at the half.
Tuttle finished the first stanza with 16 points and 5 rebounds to lift UNI to an 18-11 rebounding edge and 45-percent shooting effort in the first 20 minutes.
The second half showed signs of promise with Ruder jumping on the Panthers early with a short jumper and a 3-pointer to get MSU back within 35-27 just over three minutes into the second half. But MSU would go almost six more minutes without a field goal from there and fell victim to UNI's assortment of long-range shooters and fancy post moves to trail by as many as 21.
The Bears, who finished 14-for-38 (.368) from the field and 6-of-16 (.375) from beyond the arc, scored the final 7 points of the game. MSU was also 12-of-17 (.706) from the foul line with 12 turnovers and 26 rebounds.
Joining Tuttle in double-figures for UNI was Deon Mitchell with 11 points, while Marvin Singleton contributed 10. The Panthers finished 22-for-56 (.393) overall, 3-of-15 (.200) beyond the arc and 13-for-18 (.722) at the foul line with just 5 turnovers.
The Bears return to JQH Arena Wednesday for a 7:05 p.m., tipoff against No. 13 Wichita State (16-2, 6-0 MVC). Tickets are available now at MissouriStateBears.com or during regular office hours at the MSU Athletics Box Office at JQH Arena, (417) 836-7678.
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