CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Northern Iowa used an early 9-0 run in the second half to break open a close game and go on to post a 64-52 victory over North Dakota in the season opener for both programs Saturday.

Three UND (0-1) starters finished with 11 points to pace the team in scoring as the visitors led by as many as six points in the opening half. The Panthers (1-0) would close the half on a 6-2 run, however, to claim a 31-29 lead at the break.

UND senior Chad Calcaterra made a jumper early in the second half to even things up at 31-31, but the Panthers got field goals from four different players during a decisive run over the next four minutes to gain control of the game.

UNI senior Seth Tuttle had a game-high 24 points as the Panthers moved head coach Ben Jacobson to the top of the all-time wins chart at UNI with his 167th career victory. Jacobson played at UND from 1990-93 and beat his alma mater for the sixth straight time.

“After that 16-minute mark there in the second half, we kind of hit a wall and could not get shots to fall,” UND head coach Brian Jones said. “We turned it over some and they got a spurt on us, but even then we were only down nine late in the game and got a couple of good looks. We just could not get them to fall and, on the road, you have to get those shots to fall.”

Senior Jaron Nash returned to his home state for the first time as a collegian and scored 11 points and had a team-high five rebounds. Sophomore Quinton Hooker also had 11 points along with junior Terrel de Rouen, who was making his UND debut.

“We had three guys in double figures. Ideally, you'd like to have four or five, but if you give up 64 points, you are going to have a chance to win,” Jones added. “We just have to be better on the offensive end.”

De Rouen, a New Mexico State transfer, went 3-for-6 from beyond the arc, but the rest of the team was just 4-for-13.

After holding UNI to a 33.3 percent clip from the floor in the first half, the Panthers righted the ship and shot 53.8 percent in the second half. UND finished 16-for-45 from the floor and went 13-for-21 from the free throw line.

Fellow Iowa natives Shane Benton and Josiah Coleman each had five points for UND. Benton's first 3-pointer of the season gave his squad a 13-7 advantage, which would equal its largest lead of the game. Coleman had a game-high three steals.

UND will play its home opener on Tuesday as a part of a doubleheader with the women's basketball team. Tipoff against Mayville State is at 6 p.m. The women will play Milwaukee 30 minutes following the conclusion of that game.

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