Box Score CEDAR FALLS, Ia.- Deven Williams came off the bench to score a game-high 18 points but it would not be enough as Northern Iowa defeated Savannah State 55-50.
 
The crowd of 3,145 in the McLeod Center saw the Tigers fall to 2-8 as they dropped their sixth straight game.
 
In a game that had four ties and eight lead changes, no team held a double-digit lead.
 
UNI built a nine point lead with 4:32 left in the second period only to have Savannah State battle back to close their gap to 53-50 with two seconds left. The Panthers secured the win when Seth Tuttle made a pair of free throws with one second remaining.
 
Neither squad shot particularly well from the foul line with Northern Iowa making 12 of 23 shots and SSU making 6 of 9 attempts.
 
SSU led by as many as four point on three occasions in the opening half with the last time being at the 5:14 mark after a free throw by Joshua Montgomery to give the Tigers a 20-16 edge.
 
Northern Iowa answered with five straight points as they finished the half with a 10-5 spurt to take a 26-25 lead into intermission.
 
The Tigers opened the second half with a layup from Williams to take a 27-26 lead but that would be the last time SSU would lead. UNI answered with a 3-pointer followed by a layup to go ahead by four.
 
Northern Iowa's lead grew to 47-39 after a 3-pointer by Jeremy Morgan with 4:32 on the clock.
 
Trailing by nine with 31 seconds left, Savannah State made a late push with 3-pointers by Williams and Whitney Carter to get within 52-48.
 
Down 53-48, a layup by Stephen Wilson got the Tigers within 53-50 but could get no closer.
 
Jyles Smith added 11 points and 8 rebounds for SSU, in a losing effort.
 
SSU shot 45.2 percent from the field for the game and out-rebounded the Panthers 35 to 28.
 
Northern Iowa (4-5) was led by Tuttle who had 17 points and 7 rebounds.