GAME NOTES: This afternoon at the McLeod Center, the Northern Iowa Panthers will host the Missouri State Bears in Missouri Valley Conference action. After a fast start, the Bears have struggled, losing six of their last nine games. However, the last time Missouri State was on the court the team grabbed a convincing, 65-44 victory over Indiana State. Although Missouri State is currently 10-8 on the season, the team has been dreadful on the road, losing five of its six matchups away from home. As for the Panthers, they are currently in the midst of a four-game losing skid. The last time UNI was on the court the team suffered a tough, 68-59 setback to Creighton. The loss dropped Northern Iowa to a mediocre 6-4 at home and also left the team with a mere 2-4 mark in MVC action. The Panthers have won seven of the last 10 meetings against Missouri State, but the Bears still hold a commanding, 37-16 edge in the all-time series.

Sure the Bears are shooting a solid 46.0 percent from the field, but that has led to just 66.7 ppg. Deven Mitchell has been the main option for Missouri State, as the forward is currently leading the team with 15.2 ppg and 6.4 rpg. Dale Lamberth is the only other player posting double figures at this time. The guard is shooting a strong 43.4 percent from long range and comes into this matchup averaging 12.7 ppg. The last time the Bears were in action the team only scored 65 points, but it was more then enough to get past Indiana State. In the 21-point win, Missouri State shot 51.0 percent from the floor and made 9-of-21 attempts from behind the arc. Lamberth led the way with 15 points, while Spencer Laurie also had a solid performance, netting 12 points to go along with six rebounds, seven assists and six steals. As for Mitchell, he finished with nine points in the win.

During the Panthers' four-game losing skid the team is averaging a pathetic 58.5 ppg. With a number like that, it's no wonder the team is not winning. It has only been slightly better on the year, with UNI producing 64.1 ppg, on 44.3 percent from the field. Eric Coleman has been outstanding in the paint for UNI, as the big man is posting 12.4 ppg to go along with a team-best 9.1 rpg. Jared Josten is only shooting 39.2 percent from the floor on the year, but the guard is still chipping in 11.4 ppg. Jordan Eglseder has also made some contributions down low, and comes into this contest with 10.5 ppg and 7.0 rpg. The offensive woes for UNI continued this past Tuesday, as the team suffered a nine-point loss to Creighton. In the setback, the Panthers shot just 40.4 percent from the field and made just 6-of-20 attempts from long range. Travis Brown led the way with 13 points, while Coleman posted a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Josten tallied 11 points in the loss, while Eglseder chipped in 10.

This is the perfect matchup for Northern Iowa to break out of its slump. The Bears, who also struggle offensively, have been terrible on the road and also have struggled against the Panthers over the past few seasons.