CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — Paul Jesperson matched his season-high with 13 points and Seth Tuttle also had 13 to keep 18th-ranked Northern Iowa in the hunt for the Missouri Valley Conference title with a 59-52 win over Southern Illinois on Wednesday night. The Panthers (19-2, 8-1 Missouri Valley) rallied from their fifth halftime deficit of the season and stay a game back of Number 12 Wichita State. Northern Iowa hosts Wichita State on Saturday at the McLeod Center.

Jesperson, who had scored 12 points in his previous eight games, made 5 of 6 from the field, including 3 of 4 from the 3-point line. Tuttle made 4 of 7 from the field and 5 of 7 at the free-throw line to help the Panthers win their eighth straight game.

Southern Illinois (9-13, 2-7) got a season-high 10 points from backup center Ibby Djimde but went more than six minutes without a field goal in the second half.