University of Northern Iowa
19-9,13-4MVC
Belmont
18-10,10-7MVC
UNI men’s basketball storms back for road win at Belmont
2/19/2025 9:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Panthers extend winning streak to six games, setting up a battle for first place in the league on Sunday against Drake.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. --- The UNI men's basketball team roared back from an early 19-point first half deficit and pulled down a season-high 19 offensive rebounds on Wednesday night to score an 82-75 road win against the Belmont Bruins in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play.
Northern Iowa extends its current win streak to six games, the longest active streak in the league and its longest stretch of consecutive wins since 2020. The Panthers overcame a strong three-point shooting performance by their opponent early and would outscore Belmont 46-38 in the paint to win their third straight game against the Bruins.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Belmont put the Panthers into an early hole by draining its first six shot attempts of the night for a 14-4 lead as the MVC's top scoring offense buried five three-point shots in the first ten minutes of the game. The Bruins would start the first half outscoring UNI 11-0 off turnovers before Northern Iowa began to find some rhythm offensively. Committing just one foul the entire opening frame, Cael Schmitt and Ben Schwieger helped jump start the Panther offense down 18 points with three pointers on consecutive possessions, with Max Weisbrod soon heating up and finishing the half with three triples. Schwieger, along with Tytan Anderson pushed the pace inside for UNI, who finished the half on 45.2% shooting to cut the Belmont lead to seven at the break at 44-37.
Despite a difficult shooting night at the free throw line, the Panthers continued to climb back in the second half, scoring the first four points of the second stanza to pull within three. Racking up 12 quick points in the paint, UNI's offense pulled down 11 of its 19 offensive boards in the final frame, opening the opportunity for the Panthers to rally 13 second half points, grabbing its first lead of the game midway through the period on and Anderson jump shot at 59-58 as part of a 7-0 scoring run. In a back-and-forth finish, Weisbrod hit his fourth three-point shot of the night as Northern Iowa held Belmont to just eight points in the final seven minutes of action, including just three made field goals in the seven-point victory.
Anderson finished the night by tying his career-high with 27 points with a career-best 11 made field goals along with nine rebounds. Schwieger notched his second double-double of the season with 17 points and ten rebounds, sinking a season-high eight buckets and playing all 40 minutes, while both Campbell and Weisbrod scored 12 points each, with Campbell pulling down eight rebounds along with five assists. Jacob Hutson scored eight points with ten rebounds, including a team-high six offensive boards, while Will Hornseth and Schmitt each scored three points.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI improves to 4-3 all-time against Belmont with its third consecutive win over the Bruins. It also marks the first regular season sweep of Belmont by the Panthers since the Bruins joined the league during the 2022-23 season.
- The Panthers' 19-point comeback win was its largest since rallying from down 18 points against Illinois State in the 2015 MVC Tournament championship game.
- Northern Iowa's 19 offensive rebounds surpassed its previous season-high of 17 from its season opener against Dubuque back in November. It is also UNI's highest total off the offensive glass since March 2, 2013 when it pulled down 19 offensive boards against Illinois State.
- The Panthers are now 95-12 (.887) when scoring 80+ points under head coach Ben Jacobson, and have also won 31 of their last 36 games when scoring at least 80 points.
- Tytan Anderson became the 14th player in team history to surpass 1,300 career points, moving ahead of Cam Johnson (1989-94) for 14th on the program's all-time scoring list (1,303 points).
- Anderson recorded his fourth game of 20+ points on Wednesday night and ninth such game of his career. UNI is 14-4 this season when he scores at least 15 points.
- Anderson also played in his 134th career game on Wednesday, breaking a tie with Kwadzo Ahelegbe (2006-11) for the tenth most games played in program history.
- Will Hornseth continues to maintain a single-season shooting percentage of .700 on the season (63-of-90), currently on pace to set a new single-season program record.
UP NEXT
UNI returns to action on Sunday when it hosts in-state rival Drake for Senior Day. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT at the McLeod Center with live coverage available on ESPN2, with an additional simulcast on ESPN+, as well as the Panther Sports Radio Network.
Tickets can be purchased online through the UNI Ticket Office, by calling 319-273-4849 or through email at tickets@uni.edu.
Fans are encouraged to wear purple for the team's annual Purple Out Game.
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). The full 2024-25 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
