That was close.

With the SIU men’s basketball team leading with less than a minute remaining in Tuesday’s game against the University of Northern Iowa, Saluki senior forward Tony Young attempted a three-pointer that would’ve put the game out of reach for the Panthers.

However, Northern Iowa senior forward Grant Stout grabbed the rebound and the Panthers had one final attempt.

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Panther forward sophomore guard Travis Brown missed the final shot attempt and SIU prevailed, 56-54.

“I guess we’re going to keep playing them until the last five seconds decide the game,” SIU head coach Chris Lowery said. “Every game we play against Northern Iowa is going to be like this.”

The Salukis started the game cold, shooting 33 percent in the first half and finishing the game with a 35.9 field goal percentage and 3-for-20 from three-point range. UNI shot 50 percent from the field and hit 11-of-15 on its threes.

The Panthers, though, turned the ball over 24 times to SIU’s six and the Salukis pulled down 18 offensive rebounds in the game. SIU recorded 12 steals in the game, with four coming from senior guard Tony Young.

“I think, definitely, our pressure bothered them all night,” sophomore guard Bryan Mullins said.

The game began with the Panthers scoring the first seven points and leading SIU 19-11 before the Salukis went on a 13-point run.

SIU sophomore guard Bryan Mullins, though, missed a shot at the buzzer and the Salukis entered halftime trailing 27-25.

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The Salukis took a 39-37 lead in the second half on a pair of Mullins free throws after he wrestled away a rebound and was fouled. The two teams traded baskets and leads the rest of the game until Falker sparked an eight point run that culminated with UNI head coach Ben Jacobsen being whistled for a technical foul. Young hit both free throws to put SIU ahead 49-42 with 6 minute, 23 seconds remaining in the game.

The Salukis never looked back and held the lead for the remainder of the game and Mullins finished with a career high of 16 points.

SIU and the Panthers last played Jan. 6, when Northern Iowa outlasted SIU to win, 66-61. In that game, Northern Iowa senior guard Brooks McKowen scored seven points and added six assists.

McKowen came into Tuesday’s game averaging 10.4 points per game and 6.3 assists per game, improving from his statistics from last season, when he averaged 5.6 ppg and 2.8 apg. In Tuesday’s game, McKowen scored 12 of his 17 points in the first half and tacked on five assists.

“He’s a great guard,” Mullins said of McKowen. “He really got hot in the first half, made a couple threes, got into the lane so he did what his team needed him to do to stay in the game.”

The Salukis regained the lead in the Missouri Valley Conference from the Panthers with Tuesday’s win.

“We’re happy, but there’s eight games left in the conference,” Mullins said, “way too many games to be celebrating.”