DENVER (AP) — Seth Tuttle finished with 12 points and Deon Mitchell scored nine of his 11 in a first half where No. 23 Northern Iowa missed just two shots from the floor, helping the Panthers cruise past Denver 65-55 on Wednesday night and move to 9-0 for the third time in school history.

Northern Iowa hit 15 of 17 attempts (88.2 percent) in the opening half to build a lead that stretched to as many as 22 points. That cushion was enough as the Panthers held off a Pioneers squad that usually plays them tough, with all three of the previous meetings decided by six points or less.

The last time Northern Iowa began with nine straight wins was 1963-64 under coach Norm Stewart. The team finished 23-4 that season.