University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
9-3,1-0MVC
Saint Mary's
11-2,0-0WCC
Panther men’s basketball drops non-conference finale at Saint Mary’s
12/22/2025 11:38:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UNI finish non-conference schedule with 9-3 record. Panthers host Valparaiso next Monday night.
MOREGA, Calif. --- Four Panthers finished in double-digit scoring figures as the UNI men's basketball team came up just short of an upset of the Saint Mary's Gaels on Monday night on the west coast in a 63-58 loss at University Credit Union Pavillion.
Looking to snap the Gaels' 16-game home winning streak, Northern Iowa held Saint Mary's to season-lows in points (63) and field goal percentage (32.1%), but struggled to keep the Gaels off of the free throw line in the second half, as well as rebound against sizable opposition.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UNI and Saint Mary's battled possession for possession in the first half with UNI holding the Gaels to 33% in the opening stanza. The Panthers built an early 12-4 lead on back-to-back three-point baskets by Ben Schwieger and Ismaël Diouf, while also scoring seven points off of eight Saint Mary's turnovers. Northern Iowa would struggle in the rebounding battle however with the Gaels outrebounding UNI by a 24-12 margin. After leading for the majority of the first period, St. Mary's grabbed a late lead in the final minute of the half with a 6-0 scoring run to take a 28-27 lead into halftime, with Trey Campbell and Schwieger leading with seven points each.
The Panthers exchanged the lead in a high intensity back-and-forth in the second stanza, grabbing an early lead in the opening minutes. After the Gaels took a 44-38 lead on a 9-0 run, UNI battled for a precarious one possession lead for much of the half, fighting through 14 second half fouls with St. Mary's shooting 18-of-19 from the free throw line in the final 20 minutes. Diouf would give the Panthers a 56-55 lead with a three-point basket with just over four minutes to play, but Northern Iowa would struggle to find the rim down the stretch, being held scoreless for the final three minutes, ten seconds in the five-point loss.
Campbell finished the night with a team-high 18 points on eight-of-16 shooting, five rebounds and five assists, with Leon Bond III also posting ten points, five rebounds and five assists and Diouf also notching a career-high ten points. Tristan Smith tallied ten points and four rebounds as Schwieger recorded nine points.
The guys really attacked the game and played with confidence with our game plan, especially on defense, said UNI head coach Ben Jacobson. We stayed together throughout this game and had enough opportunities in the game. We've got a lot of guys that are playmakers and can finish, and you need to be in action against good teams to grow.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI falls to 1-3 all-time against Saint Mary's following Monday night's loss, the first between the two programs in Morega since the first meeting in 2011.
- Northern Iowa has held 11 of its first 12 opponents under 70 points this season, including seven under 60 points.
- Saint Mary's outshot UNI at the free throw line on 25-of-27 shooting, while the Panthers shot three-of-four from the charity stripe. The Gaels also outrebounded the Panthers, 42-25, including 15-2 in offensive rebounds.
- Trey Campbell made his 108th career start on Monday afternoon, tying him with Matt Bohannon (2012-16) for ninth-most in program history.
- Ben Schwieger is 80 points shy of becoming the 116th member of UNI's 500 career point club.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Monday, Dec. 29 as it resumes Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play, hosting the Valparaiso Beacons. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT at the McLeod Center with live coverage of the game can be found 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.
