Villanova will spend another week atop the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll. USA TODAY Sports
CEDAR FALLS, Ia. — After a strong showing in nonconference play, Northern Iowa spilled none of that success into its Missouri Valley Conference opener, producing a dud en route to Thursday’s 56-53 loss at the McLeod Center.
The Panthers’ offense was out of sync all night, and everyone had a hand in the futility. Tywhon Pickford was the only UNI player to reach double figures with 13 points, but he was stuck in single digits until less than two minutes to play.