University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Washington State
Panther men’s basketball to face Washington State in Las Vegas
12/19/2024 3:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UNI rides four-game winning streak into the Holiday Hoops Classic in Nevada.
UNI men's basketball (7-4 / 1-0 MVC) vs. Washington State (9-3 / 0-0 WCC)
- 3 p.m. CT | Dec. 21, 2024
- Las Vegas, Nev. | Orleans Arena (9,500)
- FloHoops ($)
- Panther Sports Radio Network (J.W. Cox: Play-by-Play / Kevin Boyle: Analyst)
- LIVE STATS
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The UNI men's basketball team will look to shine bright on the Las Vegas strip on Saturday afternoon as the Panthers take their four-game winning streak to the Orleans Arena to face Washington State in their non-conference finale in the Holiday Hoops Classic.
Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT with live coverage on FloHoops with a subscription, as well as the Panther Sports Radio Network with J.W. Cox and Kevin Boyle on the call.
Northern Iowa and Washington State meet for just the second time in their respective histories. The Panthers bested the Cougars back on Dec. 23, 2015 in a narrow 63-59 win at the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii.
The Panthers, who have won their last three games by 20+ points, are coming off a near record breaking performance in their 104-76 rout of Montana on Monday night at home. UNI shot a season-high 69% from the field and 57.9% from three-point range with Leon Bond III erupting for a career-high 37-point performance, the third-most points scored by a Panther in school history and just three points off the program's single-game record. The win also marked the first time since 1990 that the Panthers have recorded multiple games with 100+ points scored in a single season.
Bond's career-high night also saw him make a career-best 12 field goals made, as well as career-highs for three-pointers made (4) and made free throws (9). Jacob Hutson notched his third consecutive game with 20 or more points, notching a season-high 24 points with four assists. Tytan Anderson posted 13 points in the win with four rebounds, while Trey Campbell finished with ten points and four assists. Max Weisbrod tallied nine points on three made three-point baskets, with Hornseth finishing with five points.
Through 11 games, the Panthers have posted the highest field goal percentage in all of Division I men's basketball at 53.3%, while also leading the country in effective field goal percentage (60.7%). Northern Iowa is also second in the nation with a 41.9% clip from three-point range.
Hutson leads UNI with 13.8 points and four rebounds per contest, while Anderson has record 13 points and a team-high 5.8 rebounds a game. Bond leads the Panthers with a 62.8% shooting mark with 11.5 points and 5.1 boards per game, as Trey Campbell has tallied 10.1 points and a team high 36 assists. Having started the last three games, Ben Schwieger has recorded 9.8 points with 3.9 rebounds on 52.1% shooting.
SCOUTING WASHINGTON STATE
The Cougars will also close out their non-conference schedule in Sin City, coming off an 89-73 loss at in-state rival Washington on Wednesday night.
Playing its first season as an affiliate member of the West Coast Conference, Washington State was picked fifth in this year's preseason conference poll out of 11 teams. Senior guard Cedric Coward was named to the All-WCC preseason poll.
The Cougars bring one of the nation's top blocking defenses to Saturday's matchup, leading the WCC and ranking seventh in Division I with 6.2 blocks per game. Coward leads a group of six WSU players averaging ten or more points per game with 17.7 points as well seven rebounds per game. Nate Calmese has notched 16 points a game, with LeJuan posting 13.2 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds. Isaiah Watts has scored 12.5 points a game, while Dane Erikstrup has tallied 12 a game and 11 per contest from Ethan Price.
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.
