University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
12-5,4-2MVC
Bradley
12-6,5-2MVC
Panther men’s basketball comes up short at Bradley, 75-69
1/10/2026 7:46:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UNI pushes Braves down to the wire in MVC road loss. Panthers host UIC on Tuesday night.
PEORIA, Ill. --- The UNI men's basketball team pushed the Bradley Braves right down to the final minutes, but would fall short in a 75-69 loss at Carver Arena on Saturday in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play.
Looking to bounce back after its first conference loss of the season earlier this week, Northern Iowa saw three players score in double-digit figures with a high volume of free throw attempts awarded to both teams. UNI shot 42.4% from the field and led with just under five minutes to play, but would struggle to score afterwards.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In a back-and-forth first half, the Panthers shot 44.8% from the field and sank five baskets from beyond the three-point arc. UNI protected the basketball with just two turnovers in the first 20 minutes, but the Braves, battling in the paint, would take the lead for the final nine minutes of the half by drawing contact inside. Northern Iowa would slowly chip away at Bradley's six-point lead, with Max Weisbrod hitting a deep three-point shot on the final play of the half, pulling UNI within three heading into the break, 40-37. Trey Campbell led the Panthers with nine first half points, along with seven points by Leon Bond III and six from Weisbrod.
Like the first half, the second period featured a ferocious back-and-forth with UNI's defense holding Bradley in check to take a 48-45 lead. Shooting 40% from the field, the Panthers tied the game at 55-55 on an RJ Taylor jump shot and again at 60-60 on an Ismaël Diouf turnaround layup. Despite a three-point bucket by Campbell giving UNI the lead at 66-63 with just over five minutes to play, the Panthers would struggle on offense down the stretch, scoring just three points down the stretch as the Braves pulled ahead for the six-point win over UNI.
Campbell finished the night with a game-high 18 points on eight-of-16 shooting with Schwieger posting a 12 point, ten rebound double-double. Bond notched 11 points with seven rebounds in the loss, as Diouf and Weisbrod each tallied nine points.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI falls to 37-41 all-time against the Braves in Saturday's loss, their fifth straight at Carver Arena.
- Trey Campbell has now hit at least one three-point field goal in each of his last ten games, the longest such streak of his career.
- Ben Schwieger recorded his third career double-double on Saturday and the first of the season. He is also now 16 points shy of becoming the 116th member of UNI's 500 career point club.
- Ismaël Diouf made his first career start on Saturday at Bradley.
- Leon Bond III sits 71 points shy of his 500th point as a Panther.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Tuesday, Jan. 13 as they host the UIC Flames. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at the McLeod Center with live coverage available on the MVC TV Network/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.
