University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
18-12,10-9MVC
Illinois State
19-11,11-8MVC
UNI men’s basketball falls short in 71-69 loss to Redbirds in home finale
2/25/2026 8:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Panther offense puts on show in second half but comes up short in two-point loss. UNI closes regular season on Sunday at Drake.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The UNI men's basketball team shot over 70% in the second half and hit seven consecutive three-point baskets in the final frame on Wednesday, but ultimately came up just short in a 71-69 loss to the Illinois State Redbirds in their 2025-26 home finale in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) action.
Wednesday's game featured 16 total lead changes, including 12 in the second half as four Northern Iowa players finished in double-figures for scoring, while Panther forward Will Hornseth tied his career-high with nine rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UNI held the Redbirds under 40% shooting from the field but struggled itself in the first half, hitting on just 32% of its shot attempts. In a defensive, low possession period, Northern Iowa's faced a set of cold shooting stretches, including a five-minute run of nine straight missed baskets. Despite the tough shooting display, the Panthers forced five first half turnovers and kept the Illinois State offense in check with Trey Campbell tying the game at 12-12 on a three-point basket as part of a 9-0 UNI scoring run. The Redbirds would retake the lead with just over four minutes to play and would take a five-point lead into the break over UNI, 28-23. Campbell led the Panthers with eight first half points, as Leon Bond III added six points and four points from Tristan Smith.
Max Weisbrod opened the second stanza with the first of seven consecutive made three-pointers for the Panthers as the UNI offense caught fire, shooting 75% from the field in the half. After trailing by as many as seven points, Northern Iowa stretched its lead to as many as eight points thanks to strong three-point shooting from Weisbrod and Ben Schwieger. Illinois State would retake the lead on a 9-0 run before both teams exchanged control of the lead ten times in the final seven and a half minutes. Hornseth gave the Panthers a one-point lead at 69-68 with 23 seconds to go in regulation, but Illinois State would respond on its next possession with the game-winning jump shot.
Hornseth, Campbell and Schwieger all finished the night with 13 points each, as Hornseth led the game with a career-high tying nine rebounds, while Schwieger went three-for-three from beyond the arc in the second half and Campbell added a game-high five assists. Weisbrod tallied nine points, as Smith scored six points in the loss and RJ Taylor three points.
"That second half we made a ton of great plays," said head coach Ben Jacobson. "We weren't as sharp at home in our last two games, and weren't quite there to finish like we wanted to. Defensively we weren't physical enough with the ball screen and around the basket on some of those loose ball rebounds. We also had the ball four or five times tonight and didn't get any points out of them."
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Wednesday's loss evens the all-time series between UNI and Illinois State at 47-47. The loss also snaps a six-game winning streak for the Panthers at home against the Redbirds.
- Wednesday's game marked the fifth time in the last six games UNI has posted at least four players scoring in double figures.
- Illinois State is just the sixth team to score 70+ points against Northern Iowa's best-in-the-nation scoring defense (Wichita State, Belmont [twice], Bradley, Murray State).
- The Panthers have made at least one three-pointer in 177 consecutive games, a streak dating back to the 2020-21 season.
- Trey Campbell started his 126th career game on Saturday, extending his streak to lead all active MVC players. Campbell has also started 93 consecutive contests.
- Campbell also became the 15th player in program history to surpass 1,300 points in a UNI playing career on Wednesday.
- Will Hornseth has scored ten or more points in 11 consecutive games, the longest streak of his career. He is also 11 points from his 500th career point.
- Max Weisbrod has hit multiple three-point field goals in five straight games, the longest stretch of his UNI career.
UP NEXT
The Panthers will close out the 2025-26 regular season on Sunday at Drake. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT at the Knapp Center in Des Moines with live coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network (93.5 The Mix).
UNI will also host a pregame social for fans at the Lucky Horse in Des Moines (2331 University Avenue) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CT.
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.
