UNI men roll to consecutive exhibition wins
A.J. Green (above) scored 16 points in his collegiate debut against the Wartburg Knights in UNI’s 110-69 exhibition win on Oct. 28.
Nov 5, 2018
The 2018-2019 UNI men’s basketball season is officially underway. The Panthers hosted two exhibition contests as they gear up for the regular season opener on Nov. 6.
The first matchup came as UNI welcomed the Wartburg Knights to the McLeod Center. UNI dominated this matchup, defeating the Knights 110-69.
The purple and gold tipped off the game immediately outscoring the Knights 22-8 in the first five minutes. UNI’s offense was in rhythm early, shooting 73 percent from the field in the first half. By halftime, the score leaning heavily in UNI’s favor at 74-37.
UNI’s returning Missouri Valley Conference all-bench guard Wyatt Lohaus made an early impact shooting four-for-four from the field, once from the three-point zone and three-for-three in free throws for 18 points.
Freshman guard AJ Green took the court for the first time as a Panther and shined in his debut. Green finished with 16 points while going six-for-13 from the field and four-for-eight from beyond the arc. He also recorded a team-high seven assists in his first collegiate exhibition.
Sophomore Spencer Haldeman saw some action and shot 50 percent from the field for 16 points and led the team in rebounds with eight. Senior Miles Wentzien posted 15 points and two assists, while Isaiah Brown added another 13 points with four assists.
UNI next welcomed the Upper Iowa Peacocks to Cedar Falls on Thursday, Nov. 1 and continued its rhythm in point scoring, shooting 41.2 percent collectively in the first half. The Panthers held a 20-point lead at halftime, leading 40-20.
Green had another big game scoring 27 points, shooting 11- for-19 from the field and four for nine from beyond the arc.
Sophomore Trae Berhow ended the night with a double-double, recording 14 points and 14 rebounds. Lohaus posted another double-digit effort, scoring 16 points in 29 minutes on the court. The purple and gold would cruise to end of the game with a final score of 82-63.
UNI is now set to host the Bemidji State Beavers in the regular season opener. The Panthers are 3-2 all-time against the Beavers and look to continue their fluid offensive dominance.
