UNI Wears Throwback Jerseys

[Chiefster2000]

It's 1973 for UNI in throwback basketball matchup

Panthers will peel back the calendar with uniforms for Upper Iowa game.

By RICK BROWN

REGISTER STAFF WRITER

November 27, 2005

Today has been designated "Throwback Night'' at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, and Northern Iowa basketball coach Greg McDermott has a dilemma.

"The suit I was wearing in 1973 won't fit me now,'' McDermott said.

Northern Iowa will wear replica jerseys from the 1973-74 season when it hosts Upper Iowa at 5:05 p.m. in the home opener.

The school changed its name from State College of Iowa to the University of Northern Iowa in 1967. The 1973-74 season marked the first time that the words "Northern Iowa'' appeared on the team uniforms.

That 1973-74 team finished 4-22 in Jim Berry's first season.

One of Berry's best moves in his 13 seasons as coach was to recruit an all-state forward from Cascade named Greg McDermott.

McDermott returned to his alma mater to take over a downtrodden program in the spring of 2001, and the team wearing those replica jerseys today has been picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference title.

The series with Upper Iowa is another throwback. Northern Iowa has a 22-7 advantage, but the schools haven't played since the 1969-70 season.

Upper Iowa, an NCAA Division III school competing in the Iowa Conference, will be playing its second NCAA Division I foe of the season. The Peacocks lost to Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Nov. 21, 93-64.

Today will be Upper Iowa's third game in as many days. It played Northern State and Southwest Minnesota State in Aberdeen, S.D., on Friday and Saturday.

Northern Iowa, 2-0 after Wednesday's 69-63 victory at Western Michigan, got a bounce-back game from senior guard Erik Crawford.

After making just one of eight shots from the field and one of four free throws against Western Carolina in the season opener, Crawford scored a team-high 18 points at Western Michigan. Crawford was four of eight from the floor and made nine of 11 free throws.

His teammates hit just seven of 17 from the line against the Broncos. Ben Jacobson, who shot 80.6 percent from the line last season, made one of six.

Opposing defenses have also targeted Jacobson this season. He got off just nine shots against Western Michigan, making four, and was four of eight against Western Carolina.

Jacobson averaged 13.5 shot attempts a season ago, when he led the MVC in scoring at 17.9 points a game.

Today's game is the final tuneup for Northern Iowa before the start of intrastate competition. The Panthers play at Iowa State Tuesday.

[Chiefster2000]

If anyone has anymore photos from this game please let me know or post them, thanks.