The UNI men’s basketball team lost in a close contest against the Wichita State Shockers this past Thursday in Wichita, Kansas, by a score of 73-79. Though it was close all game, the Shockers pulled away late in the second half, despite a late durge from the Panthers. However, they would fail to complete the comeback as the Shockers took the win against their former rivals.
Despite the loss, it was a great outing for senior forward Jacob Hutson, who also put up 22 points for the Panthers while tagging on four rebounds. Hutson shot 50% from the 3-point line and 50% from the field, characterizing himself as a stretch player for the Panthers who can contribute underneath the rim and on the perimeter.
Other notable performances for the Panthers came from Tytan Anderson and Ben Schwieger, who would both score 12 points. Anderson, a redshirt senior, was on the boards all night as he rallied up 11 rebounds, making his outing a double-double in the loss. Also on the board for the Panthers was transfer Leon Bond III, who racked up six rebounds for the Cats.
Though shooting percentages for both teams were near the same, the difference-maker in the contest was free throw shooting, as the Shockers made almost 80% of theirs to the Panthers’ 64%. Furthermore, the Shockers outrebounded the Cats by a margin of 42-31, despite the performance by Anderson. This became a big factor late in the game as the Panthers were forced to foul and send the Shockers to the free throw line, where, as previously mentioned, they were consistent all night.
For the Panthers, there were still some silver linings to take away from the match. Their field goal percentage increased after a rough outing against UC Irvine from 40% to 48%. As well as that, their “carousel” style of point scoring was still a defining characteristic of the team despite Hutson putting up over 20, as five players scored over eight points. However, free throw shooting seems to still be an issue for the team, as in the last two games they have averaged around only 59% from the line, a problem that will continue to be a factor in tight contests.
For the Panthers, they will be back home in Mcleod on Nov. 19 against the Western Illinois Leathernecks, looking to turn around from their two-game losing streak and have their home crowd behind them.
