Springfield, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - Seth Tuttle scored 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting and No. 13 Northern Iowa cruised past Missouri State 68-57 on Sunday.
Deon Mitchell chipped in with 11 points, seven assists and five steals for the Panthers (24-2, 13-1 MVC), who are two wins shy of matching the program's longest winning streak of 15 games set during the 2009-10 season.
Camyn Boone and Austin Ruder led Missouri State (9-17, 3-11) with 14 and 13 points, respectively.
The Bears never led during a 14-point loss to UNI last month but scored first in this one via Ruder's jumper.
They were in front for all of 23 seconds, as Tuttle's 3-pointer opened a 16-2 run over the next five minutes. The Panthers hit from behind the arc four times during the stretch and recorded assists on all six of their baskets.
There were 14 assists on 16 UNI baskets in a one-sided first half that Tuttle dominated with 16 points on 7-of-7 shooting.
The lead was 42-20 at the break and was never in doubt in the second half.
Game Notes
This is the best start to a season in UNI history ... UNI shot 12-of-26 form 3-point range and finished with 19 assists on 27 field goals ... UNI has defeated Missouri State six straight times ... Jeremy Morgan scored 11 points for the Panthers ... Missouri State has lost 11 of its last 12 games.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.