The Northern Iowa men used a 20-2 run to close the opening half and beat Drake 75-53 in Des Moines. The Panthers limited the Bulldogs to 31 percent shooting.

That’s UNI coach Ben Jacobson. After being picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley preseason poll the Panthers overcame several injuries to finish 11-9 in the Valley and 19-12 overall.

Forward Will Hornseth led the Panthers with 16 points. He was seven-of-11 from the field.

Drake coach Eric Henderson says 15 turnovers proved costly as the Bulldogs closed the regular season with their ninth straight loss.

The Bulldogs were unable to stop the bleeding during UNI’s first half run, a common occurrence during their current skid.

The Bulldogs finish the Valley race 6-14. They are 12-19 overall.