CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) -- Ben Jacobson scored 29 points and three teammates also finished in double figures, leading Northern Iowa to an 86-75 victory over Western Michigan on Saturday.
Jacobson had six points in a 13-1 run that broke a tie at 56 and put Northern Iowa (19-8) ahead to stay. Eric Coleman added 17 points for the Panthers, Erik Crawford scored 11 and Brooks McKowen 10.
McKowen, who had been shooting just 34 percent, went 4-for-4 from the field with two 3-pointers.
Ben Reed and Brian Snider led Western Michigan (16-10) with 18 points each.
Western Michigan made six of its first eight shots in jumping to a 19-9 lead less than 6 minutes into the game. Northern Iowa came back with a 15-4 run to take a 24-23 lead and neither team led by more than two until Reed's 3-pointer right before halftime put the Broncos up 44-40.
Another run, this time 12-3, pulled the Panthers into a 52-47 lead, McKowen finishing the burst with a 3-pointer. Western Michigan pulled back into a tie at 56 on Rickey Willis' 3 with 13:40 remaining, but Jacobson answered with a jumper to start the Panthers' game-turning run, which made it 69-57 with 7:59 remaining.
Western Michigan never got closer than six after that and Northern Iowa secured the victory by making eight of 12 free throws in the final 1:44.
Northern Iowa committed just eight turnovers and shot 52.8 percent, the 15th time this season the Panthers have made at least half their shots.
