University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
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Upper Iowa (Exhibition)
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Panther men’s basketball tops Upper Iowa in exhibition
11/1/2025 10:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Bond posts double-double as one of six scorers in double-digits. UNI opens regular season on Thursday against Cal State Northridge.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- Six Panthers finished in double-digit scoring figures on Saturday night as the UNI men's basketball team topped the Upper Iowa Peacocks in a preseason exhibition at the McLeod Center by a score of 96-67.
Northern Iowa carried a one-point lead into the halftime break and surged with a 60-point second half on 73.3% shooting from the field. UNI also dominated in the paint, outscoring the Peacocks by a 46-22 margin.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panthers shot 46.2% from the field in an opening frame that featured 13 lead changes between UNI and UIU. Northern Iowa sank five three-pointers in the first 20 minutes, including two each from Trey Campbell and Kyle Pock with Leon Bond III posting nine points, and both Campbell and Tristan Smith scoring eight points each. Trailing by one in the final seconds of the half, Geon Hutchins put the Panthers ahead by one point on layup with under a second remaining off a Campbell missed basket, giving UNI a 36-25 lead into the halftime break.
Northern Iowa's offense picked up in the second stanza with a 16-0 scoring run in the first four and a half minutes. Stretching the Panther lead to as many as 31 points, RJ Taylor shot a perfect three-for-three from beyond the arc for a team-high 11 points in the half, as Max Weisbrod, Campbell and Bond all added a three-point bucket. Led by a strong paint game, UNI cruised to a 29-point victory.
Bond finished the night with a game-high 16 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double, with Smith tallying 15 points. Campbell posted 13 points in the win, while Taylor, Pock and Will Hornseth scored 11 points each, including a game-high four assists by Taylor. Hutchins recorded eight points, as Weisbrod finished with six points.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Thursday, Nov. 6 as they open the 2025-26 regular season against Cal State Northridge at home. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT inside the McLeod Center with live coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network (93.5 The Mix).
Single-game and season tickets for the 2025-26 men's basketball regular season can be purchased online through the UNI Ticket Office, by calling 319-273-4849 or through email at tickets@uni.edu.
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). Schedule and roster information, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
