University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
5-0,0-0MVC
UC Irvine
3-3,0-0Big West
UNI men’s basketball: Campbell’s three-point play lifts Panthers to overtime win at UC Irvine
11/23/2025 12:26:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Panthers knock off reigning NIT runners-up in road opener on game-winning three-point play in overtime.
IRVINE, Calif. --- Trey Campbell tied the game with a last gasp layup and gave the Panthers the lead with 0.6 seconds remaining in overtime with an and-one free throw on Saturday night as the UNI men's basketball team outlasted the UC Irvine Anteaters in overtime, 70-69.
After a strong first half from beyond the three-point line and a gritty performance in the face of a resilient Anteater team, Northern Iowa improves to 5-0 for the first time in six years.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panthers bolted out of the gate with a 9-0 scoring run to take a 12-4 lead on the Anteaters to open the game before UC Irvine pulled within four on a 6-0 run of its own. Three-point shooting and solid rebounding would define the first half for UNI as the Panthers sank seven made three-pointers out of 15 attempts, including three from Kyle Pock to build a double-digit lead. Shooting 41.2% from the field and forcing seven turnovers, Northern Iowa went into the halftime break with a ten-point lead, 35-25 with Pock leading with 11 points, eight points from Campbell along with two steals and six points from Max Weisbrod.
UC Irvine bolted out of the locker room with an 8-0 run to open the second half before the Anteaters tied at 38-38. With UC Irvine in the bonus just eight minutes into the period, the Panthers battled in a back-and-forth down the stretch after a cold start from three-point range to the half. Late free throws by Campbell and a goaltending call on a late Panther layup attempt would tie the game with 25 seconds left at 63-63 with the UNI defense forcing a late stop to force overtime.
In overtime, the Anteaters' Derin Sarah would give UC Irvine a 69-67 lead with a go-ahead layup with 6.8 seconds to play before Campbell would go coast-to-coast for the tying layup, plus the foul and made free throw to give the Panthers the thrilling one-point win.
Campbell finished the night with a team-high 19 points and four assists, while Pock tied his career-highs in both points (14) and made three-point baskets (4). Will Hornseth posted 11 points in the win, as Ben Schwieger notched nine points. Leon Bond III led UNI on the boards with ten rebounds along with six points, while Weisbrod also finished with six points and five points from Tristan Smith.
Having not been on the road yet this year with this team, I thought the first half the way we played defensively we made everything really hard for them, said UNI head coach Ben Jacobson. Sometimes it just comes down to guys making plays. Definitely a really gutty effort by our guys.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI evens its all-time series with UC Irvine with its win on Saturday night, with one win a piece for both teams.
- The Panthers improve to 5-0 for the first time since winning the first five games of the 2019-20 season. It is also the third 5-0 start in the Jacobson era (2014-15, 2019-20, 2025-26) and only the sixth time doing so since transitioning to a Division I program.
- UNI's victory was its first in overtime win since defeating Loyola-Chicago on Feb. 26, 2022 at home in a double overtime victory to clinch the Missouri Valley Conference's (MVC) regular season title.
- Northern Iowa also picked up its first win in its road opener since the 2019-20 season at Northern Illinois.
- Trey Campbell sits just 20 points shy of becoming the latest member of UNI's 1,000 career point club.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 25 when they take on Loyola-Chicago in their first game of the Acrisure Holiday Invitational in Palm Springs, California. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT with live coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network (93.5 The Mix).
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.
