University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Belmont
Panther men’s hoops takes on Belmont in battle of MVC contenders
1/6/2026 10:25:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UNI enters in a three-way tie for first in the league standings amid 4-0 conference start. Tickets now available for purchase.
UNI men's basketball (12-3 / 4-0 MVC) vs. Belmont (13-3 / 3-2 MVC)
- 6 p.m. CT
- Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026
- Cedar Falls, Iowa | McLeod Center (6,650)
- WATCH (MVC TV Network/ESPN+) [Brad Wells: Play-by-Play / Kevin Lehman: Analyst]
- LISTEN (Panther Sports Radio Network) [J.W. Cox: Play-by-Play / Kevin Boyle: Analyst]
- LIVE RESULTS
- TICKETS
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) contenders are set to clash on Wednesday night as the UNI men's basketball team plays host to the Belmont Bruins inside the McLeod Center in league action.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at the Ford Center with live coverage available on MVC TV Network/ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network (93.5 The Mix) with J.W. Cox and Kevin Boyle on the call.
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.
Young fans under the age of 12 can purchase tickets for just $5 (in-person sales only), while college students from any school can receive free admission to the game by showing their school IDs at the gate.
UNI has won its last four matchups against the Bruins, including an 82-75 win in Nashville last February. The Panthers, who are 4-0 in MVC play for the first time since the 2009-10 season, will look to continue their hot start to conference action, entering the matchup in a three-way tie with Illinois State and Murray State for first in the league standings.
The Panthers were dominant in their last outing on the road, a 62-48 rout of Evansville on Sunday afternoon. Northern Iowa knocked down 11 three-point field goals while holding the Purple Aces to one-of-14 from beyond the arc, while also outrebounding Evansville by a 33-25 margin.
Ben Schwieger finished the game with a team-high 14 points and season-high eight rebounds in the win over Evansville, with Will Hornseth scoring nine points with five boards. Ismael Diouf posted eight points, while Trey Campbell posted seven points with five assists and Leon Bond III with seven points, surpassing 500 points in his career. Kyle Pock tallied six points with a career-high tying three steals as Max Weisbrod notched six points and four assists.
UNI leads all of Division I men's basketball in scoring defense with 57.3 points allowed per game, giving up 70 points just once this season. The Panthers are 9-0 when holding opponents to 60 or fewer points this year. Northern Iowa also leads Division I in three-point percentage defense, limiting opponents to just 24% from beyond the arc. Entering their game against Belmont, the Panthers have held six straight opponents under 20% from three-point range.
UNI's scoring defense is currently on pace for the third-best mark since transitioning to a Division I program (1980-81). The Panthers have made the NCAA Tournament each of the previous three seasons when giving up 60 points or fewer. The Panthers are also tenth in the nation in field goal percentage defense (..377) and third in the MVC with 13.4 turnovers forced per game.
Campbell looks to continue to add to the record book against Indiana State. Having scored his 1,000th career point in December, Campbell's 111 career starts at UNI are seventh-most in program history and the most among all active players in the MVC.
Hornseth looks to continue to be a strong presence inside the paint, recently taking over as UNI's career shooting percentage leader (63.9%) with a minimum of 100 made shots. Schwieger meanwhile looks to continue his march to 500 points in his UNI career, looking to become the 116th player in team history to reach the milestone.
SCOUTING BELMONT
The Bruins visit Cedar Falls amid another strong season under the leadership of seventh year head coach Casey Alexander. Belmont came up just short in a buzzer-beater loss at home to Southern Illinois on Sunday, 68-67.
Belmont boasts an elite unit on both ends of the floor, shooting and MVC-best 51.5% from the field while also holding opponents to 37.8% shooting, the second-best mark in the league behind UNI. The Bruins also rank ninth in Division I from beyond the three-point arc at 39.8%
Tyler Lundblade leads Belmont with 16.7 points per game, alongside double-digit scorers Sam Orme (13.4 PPG), Drew Scharnowski (11.4) and Nic McClain (10.4). Lundblade ranks seventh in the nation with a 93.5% clip at the free throw line with McClain leading the league with 6.3 assists per 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). Schedule and roster information, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
