University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
1-0,0-0MVC
CSUN
1-1,0-0Big West
UNI men’s basketball tops CSUN in season opener
11/6/2025 10:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Bond scores 23 points in 29-point victory over Matadors. Panthers host South Dakota State on Sunday.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The UNI men's basketball team sank 14 three-point baskets and forced 20 turnovers on Thursday night as the Panthers rolled to an 86-57 win over the CSUN Matadors inside the McLeod Center in their 2025-26 season opener.
Northern Iowa shot north of 50% from the field on the night and record 24 assists on 32 made shots with four players scoring in double-digit figures.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panthers set the tone in the opening half of the season shooting 53% from the field, as well as 53% from three-point range with eight made triples. Despite being outrebounded on offense, including by a 10-2 margin in offensive boards, UNI capitalized off ten Matador turnovers with 13 points and held a double-digit lead for just over half of the period. Trey Campbell led the way with 11 points on three made three pointers, with eight points from Leon Bond III and six a piece from Tristan Smith, Ben Schwieger and Kyle Pock as Northern Iowa took a 46-32 lead into the halftime break.
UNI's strong offensive play carried into the second stanza with 48% shooting from the field and a disciplined defensive approach, holding CSUN to 33% shooting and forcing ten more turnovers. The Panthers sank six additional three-point baskets in the final 20 minutes, including three from Bond, who led UNI in the second half with 15 points on six-of-seven shooting. Schwieger added seven points to his ledger in the second period, while Campbell ball distribution helped him rack up six assists in the half as the Panthers rolled to a 29-point victory.
Bond finished the night with a game-high 23 points and a career-high tying five assists. Campbell tallied 13 points with a career-high seven assists and team-high six rebounds, while Schwieger also posted 13 points. Smooth notched ten points and five boards, with Weisbrod and Pock both finishing with six points each and RJ Taylor posting five points.
"I've really liked how our roster is built offensively," said UNI head coach Ben Jacobson. "What it really takes is guys that trust each other and are willing to move the basketball and make an extra pass. We saw a lot of that tonight. For this early in the season to have a team that is moving the ball has been impressive."
"I also really like the way we guarded the ball," Jacobson added. "I thought our guys did a good job of moving their feet and staying with them when we needed to stay with them."
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Thursday was the first all-time meeting between Northern Iowa and CSUN in men's basketball.
- UNI improves to 14-6 in regular season opening games under head coach Ben Jacobson, as well as 18-2 in home openers under Jacobson.
- The Panthers are now 92-16 (.888) when scoring 80 or more points under Jacobson. UNI has won 32 of its last 37 games when scoring 80+ points in the Jacobson era.
- Geon Hutchins made his collegiate debut in Thursday's game, while Tristan Smith appeared in his first game at the NCAA Division I level. Ismaël Diouf also made his Panther debut in the win.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Sunday, Nov. 9 as they host the South Dakota State Jackrabbits at home. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 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.
