All season long senior Bennett Koch has been a leader for the Panthers. Game after game, he has  improved his play and helped carry the Panthers to some notable wins at home.

The 6’10 forward redshirted his freshman year and has improved every year since then. In his final season at UNI he reached a milestone in points.

On Feb. 20, the Panthers traveled to Valparaiso, Indiana to face off against Valparaiso University on their home court.

After a 11-game losing streak, the Panthers snapped out of it on the road. At the end of contest, UNI walked  away with a win over Valparaiso, 68-63. Koch led the way for the Panthers, scoring 25 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes of play.

Draining eight of eight from the field and nine free throws,  senior Klint Carlson also reached double digits, scoring with 11, as well as adding in five rebounds.

The Panthers held the lead the entire game and the Vals could not keep up. The men’s team ended up with a season best in shooting percentage with 55 percent from the field  while scoring 32 points in the paint.

The final game of the regular season has come and gone.

As the Panthers closed out their season at home, four players were recognized on senior night for all of their hard work and accomplishments. UNI would send the seniors off with a big win at home versus Missouri State.

In their previous match up, Missouri State walked away with the win on their home floor, 62-55. The Panthers came back for revenge at home in their final game of the season. Offense was key for the Panthers, shooting 51 percent as a team.

After the Bears missed 12 shots in the first half, the Panthers took over. At half the Panthers led 39-25.

The Bears only brought the lead down to eight points before the Panthers ran off with the won in the second half. The Panthers’ win at home saw a final score of 71-56.

Klint Carlson scored 16 points and seven rebounds in 36 minutes of play. Hunter Rhoades scored 13 points and three rebounds, knocking down three three-pointers along the way. Wyatt Lohaus came off the bench with 11 points.

After a long season, the Panthers look to carry their recent momentum into the MVC Tournament in St. Louis. The Tournament will begin March 1 at the  Scottrade Center. UNI will most likely be an eighth or ninth seed.