IU falls to Northern Iowa in Vegas, 67-61

Sophomore forward Derek Elston scored a career-high 19 points but the IU men's basketball team lost to Northern Iowa 67-61 on Wednesday at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

The Hoosiers (9-3) had no answer for Panthers (8-3) guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe, who scored 24 points on 50 percent shooting. Northern Iowa shot 42 percent as a team, as most of the damage was done from the lines - both 3-point and free-throw.

The Panthers opened the half with a barrage of 3-points, knocking down eight to give them a 42-33 lead. Northern Iowa finished 16-of-19 from the free-throw line, while IU struggled with a 2-of-13 effort from deep and 19-of-29 from the charity stripe.

Sophomore forward Christian Watford led the Hoosiers with 23 points and 10 rebounds, but he had a costly turnover with his team down three and less than a minute remaining.

The Hoosiers didn't make a field goal following the giveaway, and the Panthers iced the game from the free-throw line.

The loss is the third-straight away from Assembly Hall for the Hoosiers this season. They will play the loser of the New Mexico/Colorado game in Las Vegas on Thursday.