University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
18-10,10-7MVC
Indiana State
10-18,3-14MVC
Panther men’s basketball cruise in second half in 81-60 win at Indiana State
2/18/2026 8:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Schwieger, Weisbrod combine for eight second half three-pointers in road win. Panthers host Southern Illinois on Saturday.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. --- Will Hornseth's first half interior play and the long range shooting of Ben Schwieger and Max Weisbrod in the second period sparked the UNI men's basketball offense on Wednesday night as the Panthers scored an 81-60 win over the Indiana State Sycamores at the Hulman Center in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) action.
After battling against a hot shooting Sycamore offense in the first half, Northern Iowa hit 60% of its attempted baskets in the second half, finishing the game shooting 56.9% from the floor. The victory marks UNI's sixth win in its last eight games and its third conference win of the year by 20 or more points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both UNI and Indiana State shot the ball at a high level in the opening stanza with the Panthers recording a 53% shooting clip. The Sycamores would open the game with four made three-point baskets, but Northern Iowa would crawl back thanks to 14 points scored off 11 ISU turnovers. With Hornseth shooting efficiently on seven-of-nine attempts for a team-high 14 points, UNI grabbed its first lead on a 7-0 scoring run, including a Trey Campbell triple that helped the Panthers carry a narrow 36-34 lead into halftime.
Northern Iowa stretched its lead to as many points to open the second half, but the Sycamores would pull back within a point using an 8-0 run at 49-48. UNI's perimeter defense helped shut down Indiana State's hot hand from three-point range in the final 20 minutes, holding the Sycamores to one-of-ten from beyond the arc the rest of the night. The Panthers would knock down nine triples in the second half, including five from Schwieger and three from Weisbrod, shutting down Indiana State and scoring 30 of the game's final 40 points in the last 11 minutes to roll to a 21-point victory.
Hornseth finished the night with a game-high 18 points on nine-of-13 shooting plus two blocks, with Schwieger posting a season-high tying 17 points and Weisbrod posting 14 points with three steals. Leon Bond III tallied 13 points with a pair of blocks. Campbell recorded eight points with a team-high six rebounds and four assists, while Kyle Pock scored five points, and four points from RJ Taylor.
The guys have been playing with a ton of confidence on the offensive end lately, said UNI head coach Ben Jacobson. Indiana State had us scrambling early on defense but we were able to settle in. Games are hard in this league no matter who you play, but that's what makes it fun.
Will has been having a great run lately playing much more aggressively, Jacobson added. He shoots a really high percentage and his confidence lately has been fantastic.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI improves to 35-37 all-time against Indiana State with its fourth straight win in the series, clinching the regular season series for a second consecutive year. The Panthers' 21-point victory was their largest against ISU since the 2015-16 season.
- Northern Iowa improves to 13-2 this season when allowing 60 points or fewer to its opponent, maintaining the nation's top scoring defense.
- Wednesday night marked the fourth consecutive game that at least four Panthers scored in double figures.
- UNI improves to 101-13 (.885) when scoring 80+ points under head coach Ben Jacobson, having won 19 of its last 20 games when doing so. Wednesday's win marks the first time the Panthers have scored 80+ points in four straight games since Jan. 2022.
- Indiana State's 17 turnovers against the Panthers are most committed by a UNI opponent in league play this season.
- The Panthers have made at least one three-pointer in 175 consecutive games, a streak dating back to the 2020-21 season.
- Trey Campbell started his 124th career game on Wednesday, extending his streak to lead all active MVC players. Campbell has also started 91 consecutive contests.
- Campbell also passed Johnny Moran (2008-12) and Marc Sonnen (2009-13) for sixth on the program's career three-point field goal list with 202.
- Will Hornseth is 38 points away from scoring his 500th career point. Hornseth has now scored in double figures in eight straight games.
- Max Weisbrod recorded his third consecutive game scoring in double figures and third straight with three made three-point field goals.
- Ben Schwieger's in now the fourth Panther this season to make five or more three-pointers in a game this year (Weisbrod, Campbell, Bond).
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Saturday, Feb. 21 as they host the Southern Illinois Salukis for Senior Day. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT at the McLeod Center with live coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network (93.5 The Mix).
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.
