Northern Iowa Recap

Final Score: Creighton 62, Northern Iowa 54

Box Score

Recaps: CU | UNI
Media: OWH | Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier | Des Moines Register
Photo Galleries: UNI | Des Moines Register

When the Jays went into Evansville last week and finally got on the right side of the road ledger, the hope was that would be the spark that would get Creighton some much needed confidence when playing away from the Qwest Center and we could start to see some real progress. That said, I don't think anyone expected what we saw last night. Creighton blows out to a 20-4 lead, holds UNI to a season low 15 total points in the first half and, while they were definitely threatened in the second half, made sure the game was played on their terms and was in control from buzzer to buzzer.

Going into this game, there were a number of factors working against our Jays. Obviously, the road struggles that we've had have been well documented. Not only that, this wasn't the same sort of atmosphere as the sterile, cavernous UNI-Dome: the new McLeod Center is a intimate building that gives the Panthers the sort of home court advantage they've been sorely lacking. First and foremost, however, this is a very good Panther team this year. Powered by the tandem of Grant Stout and Eric Coleman, Northern Iowa has not missed a beat in the first year under Ben Jacobson. They swept Iowa and Iowa State, won at Wichita State, beat SIU at home and are still very much in the Valley title race.

Through all that, however, our Bluejays didn't just persevere, they thrived. It was all powered by the seniors. Nate Funk showed again why he was selected preseason Player of the Year. The line itself was impressive: 24 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists. It wasn't just about the pure numbers, though. Funk had 17 of his points in the second half and, every time the Panthers would start to get rolling, he would hit the dagger shot to keep UNI at bay. No one put it better than UNI's own Eric Coleman in the WCF Courier:

"That's why he's one of the best in the league. We'd get it down to three or four points and he'd hit a big shot. Good players do that."

Before the season, one major point of discussion was how would the tandem of Funk and Anthony Tolliver work together, with the new-look A-Train. Early in the year, you could tell they weren't on the same page, but over the past few games, we are starting to see a real groove developing. Last night, Tolliver was on again with his 17 points and 6 boards. One really has to give credit to the job that both Tolliver and Dane Watts did last night. Coleman and Stout are considered by some the best frontcout tandem in the league. They present a very difficult matchup for most teams, but Anthony and Dane did a great job of keeping them in check and forcing the Panthers to look for other answers. CU was +4 in rebounds on the night, held UNI to only 22 points in the paint kept, Coleman in foul trouble most of the night and held Stout scoreless throughout the entire first half.

Also, another point of debate has been who will step up as the third scoring option on this team. While Nick Porter has been able to do that at point this season, tonight again Dane stepped up. His 10 points were key in helping to keep the Panthers honest as the Big Two tore them up.

Overall, I would lean towards calling this the best performance we've seen the Jays put together over forty minutes, home or away. Defensively, the team was solid all night and played a tough matchup zone that UNI was never truly able to get comfortable against. While we got solid performances up and down the roster, our senior stars showed why they're leaders.

With the win the Jays stay on top of the Valley with a 5-1 record and serve notice, with wins in hand over Missouri State and Northern Iowa, the reports of our demise have been greatly exaggerated. The next test will be key, though. On Monday night, we are going to have to make the trip down to the always-difficult Koch Arena and face a Wichita State squad that is backed into the corner. The Shockers have been awful since conference play rolls around and all the accolades that came with beating LSU and Syracuse and shooting into the Top 10 are all gone. The Shockers went from the story of the early season to a team that is on the wrong side of the bubble. Even with the ultra-competitive Valley, they may well be out of the league title discussion, but it's a true must win for WSU to simply keep everything from slipping away. We all know how much of a chip that the Shockers players, coaches and fans have about us. They will give us every fiber of their beings come Monday.