University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
3-0,0-0MVC
Furman
1-3,0-0SoCon
Panther men’s basketball topples Furman for third straight win
11/14/2025 9:44:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UNI out to its first 3-0 start in six years. Panthers host Northern Illinois on Tuesday night.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- Five Panthers scored in double-digit figures on Friday night as the UNI men's basketball team improved to 3-0 with a 70-54 win over the Furman Paladins inside the McLeod Center in non-conference action.
Continuing its early theme of the season of impressive defensive play, Northern Iowa forced 13 Furman turnovers, held the Paladins to 13% shooting from three-point range and held its third straight opponent under 60 points, while the offense shot 46.3% from the field, including 54.2% in the second half.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panthers entertained the Paladins in a tight back-and-forth open to Friday's game, shooting 40% from the field, as well as 40% from beyond the three-point arc. UNI's defense stepped up to the challenge, holding Furman under 40% in the first 20 minutes of action as Trey Campbell knocked down two of Northern Iowa's four made three-point baskets. Ben Schwieger led the charge with nine first half points, with eight points each from Leon Bond III and Campbell, as well as six points by Will Hornseth, stretching the Panther lead to as many as 15 points to take a 36-24 lead into halftime.
UNI rolled in the second half with Campbell leading the way with a ten-point period. Tristan Smith electrified the crowd with a pair of dunks on back-to-back possessions while the Panthers stretched their lead to as many as 23 points, leading in the period from start to finish. Northern Iowa's defense held the Paladins to 40.7% shooting and would hold on to a double-digit lead the entire half en route to the 16-point victory.
Campbell led the way with a game-high 18 points on six-of-11 shooting for the Panthers, while Schwieger posted a season-high 14 points. Smith finished with 13 points and a season-high seven rebounds, as Bond tallied 14 points as well with a season-high six boards. Hornseth notched 11 points and a season-high eight rebounds.
"Tonight we played really hard defensively, and we passed the ball well again," said head coach Ben Jacobson. "Any time you're playing against an established program, you have to play the best way you can and I felt our guys defensively did a good job and made some possessions hard for them. We've talked to our guys about two things so far, defending and rebounding. I thought our rebounding was better tonight and we attacked better on missed shots and turnovers.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI evens its all-time series with Furman at one win a piece in the first meeting between the programs since Dec. 2003.
- The Panthers improve to 3-0 for the first time since winning the first five games of the 2019-20 season. It is also the sixth 3-0 start in the Jacobson era (2007-08, 2012-12, 2014-15, 2019-20, 2025-26).
- Northern Iowa has tallied 50 steals through the first three games of the season, averaging 16.6 takeaways per game. The Panther defense has also held opponents to just 56.3 points per game this season.
- Trey Campbell is now 54 points away from joining UNI's 1,000 career point club.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 18 as they host the Northern Illinois Huskies. 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.
