CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Nate Buss scored 26 points and Seth Tuttle added 21 as Northern Iowa shot 67.4 percent from the field and defeated Missouri State 94-89 on Saturday.
Buss hit 10 of 13 field goals and made 5 of 6 from beyond the arc, where the Panthers (10-8, 4-2 Missouri Valley Conference) were 13-of-21. Tuttle made 7 of 8 from the field.
Trailing 61-59 and facing its only deficit of the game, Northern Iowa went on a 20-6 run to take a 79-67 lead. Missouri State (12-6, 2-4) cut its deficit to 88-86 on a 3-pointer with 28 seconds left, but the Panthers then converted their final six free throw attempts.
Ron Mvouika scored 28 for the Bears, who shot 59.3 percent from the field. Mvouika went 10 of 13 from the field and hit all six of his 3-point attempts.
It was Missouri State’s third straight loss.