Deon Mitchell scored 17 points and keyed a go-ahead rally late in the game as Northern Iowa defeated Southern Illinois 58-49 on Tuesday night.
Chip Rank added 13 points, including two 3-pointers, as the Panthers (15-9, 5-7 Missouri Valley) snapped a two-game losing streak.
Jeff Early's 13 points led the Salukis (7-16, 4-8), who have lost five of their last six. Mamadou Seck had 10 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
Mitchell's 3-pointer put Northern Iowa ahead 41-39 with 6:44 left, giving the Panthers their first lead of the second half. That started a spurt in which Mitchell and Johnny Moran combined for the Panthers' next 14 points, creating a 52-47 edge with 3:38 to go.
Northern Iowa endured a scoreless streak of 6:56 in the first half and trailed 22-19 at the break.
The Panthers have won seven of the teams' last eight meetings.
