CEDAR FALLS - During his seven seasons associated with Northern Iowa basketball, Ben Jacobson never recalls having a 10-day window between regular-season games.

"It will be beneficial for us," Jacobson said. "It comes at a good time."

Coming off a 62-55 home defeat to Iowa on Wednesday night, the Panthers are idle until next Saturday's clash with Division III Wartburg College at the McLeod Center.

Next week's final exams are the reason for the break, but it also gives UNI adequate time to rest, recruit and reflect on what's taken place during its 6-2 start.

The Panthers worked out for 2 1/2 hours at 6 o'clock Friday morning, and will not return to practice until Sunday evening. Jacobson will also give his team Tuesday off.

The time off is critical, particularly for Jared Josten. The senior point guard is averaging a team-high 32.9 minutes per game and had to miss stretches of Wednesday's second half with leg cramps.

"He puts forth a lot of effort on both ends of the floor for us," Jacobson said, "and you could really see it affect him Wednesday. It's important to get him some rest."

Eric Coleman injured his right ankle during Wednesday's game and hobbled through Friday's workout. Lucas O'Rear is still bothered by a knee injury, while Carlton Reed continues to fight pain with his left foot.

However, Jacobson said Reed will play against Wartburg.

"We need to have him ready for that game," Jacobson said. "He's at a point now, he's going to have to work through some soreness."

On the court, UNI devoted much of Friday's practice to screening - setting them on offense and fighting through them on defense.

Iowa exposed UNI for 10 3-pointers Wednesday, several courtesy of ball screens.

"Obviously, we need to get better at chasing screens," redshirt freshman Kerwin Dunham said.

"There were too many times we went underneath the ball screen when we were supposed to be going over the top of it," Jacobson said. "It cost us."

Offensively, a lack of screening has led to prolonged scoring droughts in the second half.

"Sometimes, we tend to stand around instead of screening people and getting open," Dunham said.

Against South Dakota State, UNI went 5 1/2 minutes without a point.

Versus Iowa State, the Panthers didn't convert a field goal for 9:20 to start the closing half, and they had dry spells of 5:02 and 3:56 against Loyola-Chicago.

During Wednesday's defeat, UNI went 6-plus minutes without a basket.

"We've got to become a better screening team," Jacobson said. "We didn't do it well enough last year, and we aren't doing it well enough right now. That's going to take some work.

"Guys get caught up watching the ball, and as we become a better screening team, our offense is going to be better. That's going to eliminate some of those longer periods of time because we'll get better looks at the basket."

Jacobson believes inexperience plays a factor.

"Freshmen and sophomores don't screen as well as juniors and seniors," he said. "They get in a little bit of a hurry to get to the last part when the guy catches it and scores. The play works if every part of it is done right.

"That takes game experience, takes practice experience, and we'll work hard at that."

Adam Koch has another solution on how to solve UNI's rough offensive patches.

"If shots aren't falling, it's a good time for offensive rebounds to get easy baskets," Koch said. "We've got to stay more aggressive."

That said, with three non-league games remaining before the conference opener at Bradley on Dec. 29, nobody is satisfied.

"I can't say we're happy with where we're at," Dunham said. "We can't be content. We just need to keep improving, keep working hard."

HITTING THE ROAD: The 10-day gap allows Jacobson and his staff time to recruit. The head coach was scheduled to see incoming point guard John Moran play Friday night in a Chicago suburb, with a trip to Minneapolis looming next week.

Jacobson also plans to see Austin Pehl and Jake Koch, who signed with UNI last month, play during the next several weeks.

"I like to be able to go and see them at least once," Jacobson said. "As busy as we are during our season, you don't quite get as much contact with those guys as you'd like, but they are in our basketball program. It's important."

UNI still has one remaining scholarship for next season. The Panthers plan to sign a high school guard in the spring.

SPEAKING OF MORAN: Entering Friday's game, the future Panther point guard is averaging 20.4 points and 6.5 assists per contest in Jacobs High School's 4-1 start. Moran, who has 1,530 points for his career, is 29 shy of tying the school mark. He had a season-high 30 points against Centralia in the Quincy Thanksgiving tournament two weeks ago.

STREAK SNAPPER: After scoring double figures in UNI's first seven games, Josten had that streak end against Iowa. Josten tallied six points on a season-low six shot attempts.

Contact Matt Coss at (319) 291-1468 or matt.coss@wcfcourier.com