University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
13-8,5-5MVC
Murray State
16-5,8-2MVC
UNI men’s basketball takes down first-place Racers at home
1/24/2026 6:08:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Panthers snap five-game skid in five-point win over league-leading Murray State. UNI visits Southern Illinois on Wednesday.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The UNI men's basketball team shot nearly 60% from the field and thrived inside the paint on Saturday as the Panthers knocked off Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) leader Murray State by a score of 81-76 inside the McLeod Center.
Snapping a season-long five-game losing streak, Trey Campbell scored a season-high 27 points while Northern Iowa's best-in-the-league scoring defense held the top scoring offense in the MVC to a season-low in points scored in a conference game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panthers were aggressive in attacking the paint in the first half, outsourcing the Racers by a 28-16 margin inside the lane. UNI used a 10-0 scoring run to take a 17-7 lead and would lead for the majority of the period, which included a stretch of eight straight made baskets. Will Hornseth led the charge with 13 points in the first 20 minutes on six-of-nine shooting, while Campbell added ten points and eight points by Leon Bond III to take a 12-point lead, but Murray State would storm back, with the Racers taking a one-point lead into the break with MSU's Roman Domon scoring ten straight points to send UNI to the locker room down 38-37.
Northern Iowa came out shooting in the second period in an early back and forth, tying the game off a Campbell three-pointer and taking the lead on a Bond dunk. Despite a short stretch of tough shooting, the Panther defense withstood Murray State's speed and passing and shot 57.7% from the field with 55% shooting from beyond the arc thanks to hot shooting hands by Max Weisbrod and Campbell. Campbell posted 17 points in the final frame with Weisbrod adding nine points and Bond eight points as UNI iced the game late to hold on for the five-point victory.
Campbell finished the game with a season-high 27 points on ten-of-14 shooting with five three-pointers and a game-high five assists. Bond tallied 16 points with a team-high six rebounds, with Hornseth posting 14 points and six boards, as Weisbrod finished with nine points, Schwieger with seven points and Ismael Diouf six points.
I'm really happy for our guys, said head coach Ben Jacobson. We don't talk about our record as a team and I tell our guys each game counts as one. The past ten to twelve days have been a tough stretch. The offense gave us a huge shot of confidence. Today we were able to play a bit faster and move the ball up the floor and see if we can't get into position against their defense.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI improves to 4-2 all-time against the Racers, including 2-2 vs. Murray State at home.
- Murray State is just the fourth team to score 70+ points against the Panther defense on Saturday. The Racers' 76 points were the second-most allowed by UNI this season, the most allowed in MVC play and the fewest scored by MSU in conference action this year.
- UNI is now 98-12 (.890) when scoring 80+ points under head coach Ben Jacobson. Saturday marked the Panthers' first game scoring at least 80 points since Dec. 1 against Coe.
- Northern Iowa has now held ten of its last 11 opponents to 30% or less from three-point range. The Panthers have also made at least one three-pointer in 168 consecutive games.
- Trey Campbell's season-high 27 points are the second-most of his career, three points shy of his career-high 30 point showing at Illinois State last season. Campbell's showing also propelled him to 25th on UNI's all-time scoring list.
- Leon Bond III sits 33 points shy of scoring his 500th point as a Panther.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 28 when they visit the Southern Illinois Salukis. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at the Banterra Center in Carbondale with live coverage available on the MVC TV Network/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.
