CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Johnny Moran shot 6 for 6 from the free-throw line and finished with 17 points to lead Northern Iowa past Northern Colorado 78-69 on Sunday.
The Panthers (2-1) went ahead for good midway through the second half when Jake Koch hit a 3-pointer to break a 54-all tie. They went on to lead by as many as 10 points in the final minute.
Koch finished with 15 points while Deon Mitchell and Marc Sonnen added 12 each and Anthony James scored 10.
The Bears (0-3) led throughout much of the first half, shooting 40 percent from the field and making 5 of 8 from beyond the arc. But they sent the Panthers to the free-throw line 14 times in the second half and the Northern Iowa made 12 of those tries.
The Bears’ Paul Garnica led the game with 22 points, including six 3-pointers, while Tate Unruh added 12 points.
