NORMAL — Noah Carter scored 23 points, including a pair of free throws with 1:14 left which gave Northern Iowa the lead, as the Panthers held off Illinois State, 72-70, in Brian Jones' first game as ISU's interim head coach Tuesday at Redbird Arena.
Antonio Reeves, who scored 27 points, had his shot blocked by Carter in the closing seconds to seal the outcome.
Kendall Lewis added 15 points and a career-high 14 rebounds for the Redbirds, who lost for the seventh time in last eights games and dropped to 11-16 overall and 4-10 in the league.