Old Dominion (21-7, 13-3 CAA) @ Northern Iowa (23-3, 14-2)
McLeod Center
Cedar Falls, IA 6:00 CT
TV: ESPN2
The Panthers are fresh off wrapping up the regular season Valley title against the Jays on Tuesday. No time to rest now with Old Dominion coming to town. The opportunity presents itself for a marquee win on national TV to add to their resume and extend a home win streak past 13 games. It will be the second of three games they will play without starting center Jordan Eglseder. Withing the big man, UNI’s defense didn’t miss a beat, holding the Jays to 52 points. At #2 in the nation in points allowed, expect a low scoring game tonight. Why?
The Monarchs, co-leaders in the Colonial, are right behind the Panthers in points allowed (55.8 compared to the 55.1 UNI allows). The first team to score 50 tonight should win. ODU is led in scoring by Gerald Lee. The 6-10 senior from Finland will be a good match-up for O’Rear or Koch from UNI. With a record of just 7-5 on the road, it appears the Monarchs may struggle in Cedar Falls. UNI is calling for fans to wear purple. A Friday night game in the McLeod Center has the makings of a tough environment.
– Panon
