CEDAR FALLS, Ia. — Splashes of blue bled into chunks of purple, as the McLeod Center hosted its best crowd of the season. Drake and Northern Iowa know each other well. A grind was expected, and a grind it was.
In a cluttered Missouri Valley Conference, both teams desperately needed this one. The winner moved into a tied for third. The loser sits all alone in ninth place.
A frantic final minute ended with a 57-54 UNI win, as the Panthers held on in front of 4,141 Sunday afternoon.