CEDAR FALLS, Iowa: Bennett Koch scored 18 points, including 8 of 10 at the free throw line, to help lead Northern Iowa to a 93-70 win over North Texas on Monday night in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Matt Bohannon scored 16 points, Jeremy Morgan had 15 and eight boards, and Wes Washpun added 12 and seven assists for the Panthers (5-1).

Northern Iowa has won five straight by an average of 20.6 points after an opening night loss to Colorado State.

North Texas led 43-41 after a back-and-forth first half. But a pair of free throws by Klint Carlson followed by a Koch dunk gave Northern Iowa a 52-49 lead four minutes into the second half, a lead which they did not relinquish.

The Panthers pieced together a 27-9 run over 10-minute stretch, which extended their lead to 22 and put the game away.

J-Mychal Reese led North Texas (2-4) with 19 points.

No. 1 Kentucky 75 Illinois State 63: At Lexington, Kentucky: Isaiah Briscoe scored 18 points, Jamal Murray added 16 and Kentucky overcame a sluggish first half to pull away from Illinois State.

BIG TEN

Wake Forest 69 Rutgers 68: Cornelius Hudson scored on a baseline drive with 18 seconds remaining to help Wake Forest beat host Rutgers in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Trailing 68-67 with 28.1 seconds left, Hudson took a pass in the left corner, pump faked and drove the baseline for a go-ahead basket.

Corey Sanders then missed a driving layup attempt in the lane and the ball went out off of Wake Forest with 4.7 seconds left. Mike Williams missed a rushed 3-point attempt from straight away. Devin Thomas was fouled, missed a free throw and Rutgers’ desperation heave was off the mark.

Thomas had 23 points and 17 rebounds for Wake Forest (5-2), while Mitchell Wilbekin had 12 points and John Collins added 11.

Indiana 112 Alcorn State 70: James Blackmon Jr., like his Indiana teammates, had a disappointing performance in last week’s Maui Invitational. Blackmon, who was averaging 17 points per game, scored 30 points in the three games.

Monday night, he took out his frustrations on Alcorn State.

The sophomore guard from Marion, Indiana, scored a career-high 33 points to lead host Indiana to an easy victory over Alcorn State at Assembly Hall.

Blackmon Jr. made 11 of 16 shots from the field including 6 of 9 from 3-point range. He bested his previous season high of 20 points and his career-high set last season against SMU of 26.

MID-AMERICAN

Central Michigan 74 McNeese State 73: Braylon Rayson made the second of two free throw attempts with 3 seconds left to give host Central Michigan a win over McNeese State.

Central Michigan (3-3) was up 67-53 with 8:14 left in the game. Jarren Greenwood drove for a layup to start a 20-6 Cowboy run. A Jamaya Burr layup tied the game at 73 with 10 seconds left. Burr fouled Rayson, who made the needed free throw for the win. Burr launched a 3-point attempt as time expired but was off the mark.

Rayshawn Simmons, who averages 14.7 points a game, led the Chippewas with 16 points and dished out five assists.