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	1	2	F
Northern Iowa (7-0)	40	33	73
Virginia Tech (2-2)	31	23	54
Riviera Maya, MX (Hard Rock Resort) - 650 High Points: 15 - Joey van Zegeren High Rebounds: 6 - Joey van Zegeren Box Score

PUERTO AVENTURAS, Mexico – Northern Iowa downed Virginia Tech, 73-54, on Tuesday in the first night of the Cancun Challenge at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico.

The Panthers, now 7-0 on the season, used hot shooting from three-point territory in the opening 20 minutes of action, making six of 11 threes in the first half. Tech kept the game close and when Joey van Zegeren scored on a dunk in transition at the horn, the Hokies trailed just 40-31 at the intermission.

Justin Bibbs scored the first bucket of the second half to cut the UNI lead to seven points, but the Panthers went on a 17-2 run in the next seven minutes to take a 57-35 lead. Tech held the Panthers to just one of seven three-point attempts in the second half, as the teams shot identical seven-for-18 from beyond the arc for the night.

Van Zegeren led the Hokies with 15 points and six rebounds. Ahmed Hill added nine points and Justin Bibbs scored eight points. Matt Bohannon led four Panthers in double figures with 13 points. Hill and Shane Henry each made their first career starts for the Hokies

UNI won the battle on the boards, 27-24. Tech shot 47.8 percent from the floor, but managed just three of eight from the line, while Northern Iowa made 18 of 20 from the charity stripe.

The Hokies will play Miami of Ohio on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. ET in the consolation game of the Riviera Division. The CBSSports Network will televise the contest.

For updates on Virginia Tech men's basketball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_MBBall