CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (Interstat) — The Northern Iowa Panthers, off to a perfect start, will look to remain undefeated when they host the Furman Paladins in a nonconference men’s basketball game Friday at McLeod Center.

Northern Iowa (2-0) is coming off a 65-58 victory over South Dakota State on Sunday. In that win, Tristan Smith led the way with 16 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Leon Bond added 11 points and two blocks. The Panthers opened their season with an 86-57 rout of Cal State Northridge on Nov. 6.

Furman (1-2) enters the contest after a dominant 89-59 win over Columbia International on Monday. Alex Wilkins scored a game-high 26 points in that victory, and Charles Johnston recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Paladins’ two losses this season came against High Point (97-71) and Troy (64-61).

Friday’s game will be the first of a two-game homestand for Northern Iowa before it travels to face UC Irvine. Furman continues a stretch of road games before returning home to host Ohio Christian on Nov. 19.