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Koch, Morgan score 21 apiece as N Iowa beats Drake 79-60

Sports

January 15th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Bennett Koch and Jeremy Morgan had 21 points apiece, Jordan Ashton scored 13 of his career-high 17 points in the first half and Northern Iowa snapped a seven-game skid with a 79-60 win over Drake on Sunday.

Koch made 8 of 8 from the field and Morgan hit 7 of 12 — including 3 of 6 from 3-point range. Ashton made all five of his first-half shots, including three 3s.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by De’Antae McMurray gave Drake a 7-4 lead but the Bulldogs went scoreless over the next six-plus minutes as Northern Iowa (6-11, 1-5 Missouri Valley) scored 18-straight points to start a 33-6 run that made it 37-13 with five minutes left in the half. The Panthers led by double figures the rest of the way.

Reed Timmer had 18 points, Ore Arongundade scored 16 and McMurray 13 for Drake (5-13, 3-3).

Northern Iowa shot a season-high 57 percent (29 of 51) from the field. The Bulldogs hits just 21 of 55 shots (38 percent).