SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (AP) — Deon Mitchell scored 16 points, Anthony James added 14, and Northern Iowa held on to beat Rice 64-60 Friday in a South Padre Island Invitational game.
Jake Koch had 10 points for the Panthers (4-1), who were up 55-45 with 3:26 to play. Arsalan Kazemi, who led the Owls (4-1) with 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Tamir Jackson, who scored 15, powered a 12-6 run that got Rice within four, 61-57, with 10 seconds left.
After a Koch free throw, the Owls’ Connor Frizzelle, who scored 10 for the game, hit a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left to make it 62-60. Two free throws by James sealed the victory, Northern Iowa’s third straight.
Kazemi’s double-double was his fourth in five games. He came in averaging 11.8 points and 12 rebounds per contest.
Despite Kazemi’s efforts, UNI outrebounded Rice 35-31 and outscored the Owls 13-5 on second-chance points.
