Coming off a loose ball, senior Ali Farokhmanesh dives on the floor, securing the ball, a timeout and a possession for the University of Northern Iowa Panthers. That hustle play paired with the ensuing Panther possession that consisted of three offensive rebounds and a Jordan Eglseder score served as the perfect symbol for UNI’s 63-60 victory over Iowa State University Wednesday.

“It was pretty obvious to anybody who watched the game that Northern Iowa was the tougher team,” said ISU head coach Greg McDermott.

“There were loose balls where there were too many purple shirts on the floor and not enough white shirts.”

“Something our team takes a little pride in is being the ones who are going to dive on the floor and get the ball. When we are doing that we’re definitely at our best,” said UNI senior Adam Koch.

“Those (loose balls) are some plays you wish you had back,” said ISU junior Craig Brackins.

Edging the Cyclones in rebounds, turnovers and, as a result, total shots proved to make a big difference for the Panthers.

“We had our best 40 minutes of the season to date on both ends,” said UNI head coach Ben Jacobson.

The Panthers found themselves down 36-31 at the conclusion of the first half. UNI struggled to convert its shots within a few feet of the basket. Combined, Eglseder and Kwadzo Ahelegbe scored on four out of 11 of those shots.

Koch took advantage of his scoring tries, drilling six of his eight shots, and led all players in points at half with 12. Koch ended the game with 20 points, tied for the game-high with Eglseder.

Ten offensive rebounds, compared to ISU’s five, gave the Panthers more opportunities to score and keep the game close in the first half.

UNI continued its rebounding dominance in the second half, out-boarding ISU 15-7 on the offensive side of the ball for the game. Meanwhile, Eglseder cleaned up his performance inside the lane where he shot six of nine in the concluding half.

“I missed quite a few (close shots) in the first half. Coach has been trying to get me to keep my head when that happens,” said Eglseder.

Along with Eglseder, the rest of the Panthers kept their cool in the second half despite trailing most of both periods. A Farokhmanesh three-pointer with 36 seconds remaining gave UNI its final lead of the game. Twenty-one ticks later, Ahelegbe converted two consecutive free throws on a one and bonus opportunity, giving the Panthers a three-point lead. UNI shot a perfect 10 for 10 at the line.

Most notably on the defensive side of the ball, the Panthers held Cyclone star Craig Brackins to just two points in the second half. Brackins, who scored a total of 13 points for the game, left a scar on the UNI defense last year as he scored 32 at the McLeod Center.

“I thought our guys did a good job of giving (Brackins) some different looks. We were (double teaming). We got there on the catch and made it difficult for him and forced him to give it up,” said Jacobson.

The Panthers improve to 5-1 with the victory while the Cyclones fall to 6-2. UNI will continue its Panther State Campaign Tuesday at the McLeod Center, taking on the University of Iowa Hawkeyes at 7:05 p.m.