Junior forward Jackie Carmichael recorded his 12th double-double of the season, scoring a game-high 16 points and grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds to help lead the Illinois State University Redbirds past the University of Northern Iowa Panthers, 54-42 in Friday’s Missouri Valley Conference Tournament quarterfinal.
The No. 5-seeded Panthers (19-13) shot a season-low 25.5 percent from the floor and made just 14 shots in the game.
“Both teams had a hard time finding the basket there for a long time and it just felt like the first team to break through a little bit was going to be the one to get a four-, five- or six-point lead. The way that game was going it was going to be enough,” said UNI head coach Ben Jacobson. “Illinois State played very well. They really defended well and they had a good plan for what they were doing. Carmichael had a terrific game and he made a lot of plays.”
UNI was led in scoring by their lone senior, guard Johnny Moran. Moran scored 13 points behind the strength of three 3-pointers and was the only Panther in double figures. Junior forward Jake Koch recorded a team-high eight rebounds while contributing nine points.
Although the No. 4-seeded Redbirds (19-12) shot just 34.5 percent from the floor themselves, they dominated the post, outscoring the Panthers 32-12 in the paint and outrebounding UNI, 48-33. ISU also recorded a season-high nine blocks against the Panthers.
“Defensively, this is the best kind of game,” said ISU head coach Tim Jankovich. “For the game we shoot 34 percent and we can’t make a (3-pointer). It was just a tough offensive night and when you can do that against an outstanding team and still win, those are the best kind of wins.”
After a sluggish first half in which the two teams shot a combined 26.4 percent (14-for-53) from the floor, UNI held a 25-21 halftime lead.
However, the Redbirds used a 9-0 run midway through the second half to take their first lead of the half and never looked back. The 9-0 run gave ISU a 38-31 lead with 9:17 left in the game and UNI got no closer than three points the rest of the way.
“In a game that is that close because the two teams are having a hard time scoring, sometimes all it takes is one really good play and Carmichael was able to provide that for their team,” said Jacobson. “They had the momentum after that, and you could feel that, but we still had some chances after that.”
With a record of 19-13 and an RPI (Rankings Percentage Index) in the 70s, the Panthers have no shot at making the NCAA Tournament. However, UNI still has a good shot at making one of the three other postseason tournaments: the National Invitational Tournament, the CollegeInsider.com Tournament or the College Basketball Invitational.
“We had a great nonconference (run) and we played very good the last three weeks of conference play, so we’ve done enough to get into a postseason tournament and we get to play some more,” said Jacobson. “There is a pretty good list of why that’s important and why that’s good for our program, and at the top of that list is always your seniors. Johnny (Moran) has been terrific for us and we are just glad we get to play some more.”
