The SIU men’s basketball team defeated the Northern Iowa Panthers (10-10, 2-6 MVC) on Sunday afternoon, 64-53.

The win completed the Southern’s first season sweep over UNI since the 2002-03 season. Earlier this season, SIU snapped a streak of 14 consecutive losses at Northern Iowa.

“We have to give Southern credit, they battled hard and made plays,” UNI head coach Ben Jacobson said. “The longer the game went on, the more of an edge that they developed.”

The Salukis found themselves in a typical Missouri Valley Conference defensive battle from the get-go, as both teams denied any easy buckets.

Both teams traded points consistently, but following a 3-pointer from junior guard Marcus Bartley, Southern refused to give up its lead in the first half. Bartley finished with 12 points on 4-5 shooting from 3-point range and dished 2 assists in the game.

“My coaches have been on me to be more aggressive and getting people in the right spots,” Bartley said. “My teammates did a great job of executing and making shots.”

The first half ended with the score at 25-21 after junior guard Armon Fletcher scored on a free throw with seconds left. Fletcher nearly dropped a double-double, as he scored 12 points with nine rebounds in the game.

After Northern Iowa scored the opening points of the second half, SIU took over.

Southern shot over 55 percent in the second half, compared to the Panthers 35.5 percent. The Salukis also shot 4-6 from beyond the arc in the half, compared to UNI’s 4-15 clip.

In a 13-minute span, the Salukis went on a massive 28-13 scoring run and built a double-digit lead over the Panthers late in the game.

However, with three minutes remaining, UNI answered back with consecutive 3-pointers and a quick layup for an 8-0 scoring run that made the score 54-46.

Southern responded with three consecutive buckets and regained its double-digit lead.

“I thought we answered the bell every time we needed to,” head coach Barry Hinson said. “I have to give our guys credit for focusing and executing after each time out.”

Shortly after the Panthers came back with a layup, senior guard Sean Lloyd raced down the court for an emphatic slam dunk that erupted the Saluki crowd and effectively took Northern Iowa out of the game.

Lloyd finished the game with 15 points and six rebounds. He also recorded three steals and two assists.

Junior center Kavion Pippen dropped a double-double, with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

SIU (12-9, 4-4 MVC) resumes action on Wednesday night at SIU Arena against the Indiana State Sycamores. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Sports reporter Ryan Demer can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @RyanDemer_DE 

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