University of Northern Iowa
3-2,0-0MVC
Western Illinois
2-3,0-0OVC
Campbell, Anderson, Schwieger score in double figures in rout of Western Illinois
11/19/2024 10:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Panthers improve to 3-2 with 82-56 home win over the Leathernecks. UNI returns to action on Thanksgiving night to open the NIT Season Tip-Off against North Texas.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI's defense set the tone early and made a statement on Tuesday night as the Panther men's basketball team rolled to an 82-56 win over the Western Illinois Leathernecks in non-conference action inside the McLeod Center.
In the first matchup between the former Mid-Continent Conference rivals in 33 years, Northern Iowa's defense smothered the Leathernecks with nine steals and outscored WIU by a 17-3 margin in points off turnovers. Trey Campbell, Tytan Anderson and Ben Schwieger all scored in double-digit figures for the Panthers, who collectively shot 60.8% in the game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panther defense jumped on the Leathernecks early with a pair of shot clock violations on two of WIU's first three possessions. UNI played a very clean first half with only four total fouls, and shot at high marks with 71.4% shooting from the field, led by nine points from Anderson, seven points by Campbell and six points each from Leon Bond III and Schwieger. Northern Iowa's defense notched seven total steals with three blocked shots in the first 20 minutes of action, including six steals that led to multiple Panther buckets in the final two minutes, 47 seconds of the first period, helping UNI take a 42-24 lead into the halftime break.
UNI kept the offense cooking and the defense humming in the second half on 53.3% shooting while holding the Leathernecks to 42.9% from the floor. Northern Iowa outscored Western Illinois 26-16 in the paint as Campbell posted a team-high 11 points in the second period with four assists. Anderson posted eight points with four boards in the final 20 minutes as Schwieger rattled off seven points in the period, helping boost the purple and gold to a 26-point victory.
Campbell finished the night with a season-high 18 points on seven-of-12 shooting and four made three-pointers. Anderson scored 17 points with four rebounds and a pair of blocks, while Schwieger tallied new season-highs in points (13) and rebounds (5). Jacob Hutson notched nine points and four boards in the win as Will Hornseth recorded eight points with a career-best four rebounds. Defensively RJ Taylor and Bond both finished with career-high tying marks with three steals each, with Taylor scoring seven points and Bond six points.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI improves to 30-29 all-time against Western Illinois with Tuesday's win. The game marked the first meeting between the Panthers and Leathernecks since Feb. 23, 1991, the last regular season meeting for both teams as members of the Mid-Continent Conference.
- Northern Iowa's 26-point victory was the third-largest in the history of the series, and largest since UNI beat WIU by 32 points during the 1967-68 season.
- The Panthers have now shot over 60% from the field twice this season after previously doing so against Milwaukee (.604). It is UNI's highest single-game shooting clip since shooting 66.7% at Valparaiso last season.
- Second game this season UNI has shot over 60% from the field
- UNI improves to 88-12 (.880) when scoring 80+ points in games under head coach Ben Jacobson. The Panthers have also won 26 of their last 31 when scoring at least 80 points, including its last seven such games.
- RJ Taylor surpassed 100 points in his young career with a seven-point outing against the Leathernecks.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Thanksgiving night, Nov. 28 as they battle North Texas in the opening game of the NIT Season Tip-Off, presented by ESPN in Kissimmee, Florida. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT with live coverage available on ESPNU and the Panther Sports Radio Network.
UNI men's basketball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Men's Basketball), X (@UNImbb) and on Instagram (@uni_basketball). The full 2024 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
