Discovering Excellence: The Unique Journey at University of Northern Iowa

CARBONDALE, Ill. — On Saturday evening, the UNI men’s basketball team faced difficulty keeping up with the speed and high shooting percentages of Southern Illinois, resulting in a defeat for the Panthers at the Banterra Center, 73-49.

Initially held to under 15% shooting in the first half, Northern Iowa showed improvement offensively in the latter 20 minutes, but struggled with shooting at the free throw line along with SIU’s impressive 54% shooting performance.

HOW IT UNFOLDED

The Panthers encountered an early setback right from the game’s first possession as SIU surged to a 7-0 advantage within the initial two minutes. UNI’s offense faced significant challenges in the opening half against a relentless Saluki defense, managing to shoot only 14% in the first 20 minutes, hitting four out of 28 shot attempts. Even after reaching the bonus, Northern Iowa struggled at the free throw line during the first half, converting just seven out of 15 attempts. While UNI managed to slow Southern Illinois’ pace during a few possessions, they could not halt the Salukis, who maintained a double-digit lead for most of the half and went into halftime up 33-15.

After halftime, UNI’s offense showed progress with a 52% shooting rate, making 13 baskets out of 25 attempts; however, the SIU offense continued to excel, particularly from beyond the arc, with five three-pointers out of six attempts. The Panthers kept finding it difficult to keep pace with the Salukis’ speed, shooting at 65.2% from the floor in the final quarter. Max Weisbrod sank three long-range shots, while Trey Campbell contributed seven points over the last 20 minutes.

Campbell, Tytan Anderson, and Weisbrod all led Northern Iowa with nine points each, with Anderson also notching five rebounds and two steals. Jacob Hutson scored six points along with five rebounds, and Ben Schwieger added five points and three boards. Leon Bond III finished with four points, Redek Born with three points, while both Will Hornseth and Cael Schmitt contributed two points each.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• With Saturday’s victory, Southern Illinois now leads the all-time series 40-39.
• Graduate guard Cael Schmitt made his debut for UNI on Saturday night after missing the initial 18 games of the season due to an injury.
• Tytan Anderson matched Brian Carpenter (1992-96) for ninth place on UNI’s all-time steals list with his 138th career steal.
• Anderson is now just 14 assists shy of joining Seth Tuttle (2011-15), Eric Coleman (2004-08), and Ron Lemons (1975-79) as the fourth player in the program’s history to achieve 1,000 points, 700 rebounds, and 200 assists in their UNI career.
• Ben Schwieger is 30 points away from hitting his 500th career point. The Aurora, Illinois native previously recorded 290 points during his two seasons at Loyola-Chicago (2022-24).

UP NEXT

On Tuesday, January 21, Northern Iowa will return home to face the Missouri State Bears. The tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT at the McLeod Center, with live coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network.

Tickets can be acquired online through the UNI Ticket Office, by calling 319-273-4849, or by emailing tickets@uni.edu.

Follow UNI men’s basketball throughout the season on social media: on Facebook (UNI Men’s Basketball), X (@UNImbb), and on Instagram (@uni_basketball). The complete 2024-25 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther updates and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.