The Northern Iowa Panthers have earned their way back to March Madness for the first time in a decade, overwhelming UIC 84-69 to capture the Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship Sunday in St. Louis, Missouri.
Entering as the sixth seed, Northern Iowa (23-12) delivered their most impressive offensive performance of the year when it mattered most, converting 31 of 49 field goal attempts for a stellar 63.3% shooting percentage. The Panthers also knocked down 52.2% of their three-point attempts in the decisive victory.
Veteran guard Trey Campbell led the scoring attack with 23 points, connecting on eight of 13 shots including six three-pointers. Reserve Ben Schwieger contributed 18 points while making seven of eight field goal attempts. Leon Bond III and Will Hornseth each added 10 points, with Tristan Smith pulling down eight rebounds. The Panthers’ ball movement was exceptional, recording a season-best 25 assists as a team.
UIC (19-15) received a strong individual effort from Elijah Crawford, who scored 28 points on 13-of-29 shooting while adding four rebounds and five assists. Ahmad Henderson II contributed 13 points for the Flames, while Rashund Washington Jr. and Jayce Nathaniel each scored 10.
In Sunday’s other conference championship game, High Point secured its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance with a 91-76 victory over Winthrop in the Big South Conference final in Johnson City, Tennessee.
The top-seeded Panthers (30-4) pulled away in the second half against the second-seeded Eagles to earn just their second NCAA Tournament bid in program history. High Point has emerged as a mid-major force, accumulating 86 victories since 2023 – a total exceeded only by Houston, Duke, and UConn among Division I programs.
Rob Martin powered High Point’s offense with 24 points and seven assists, while Cam’Ron Fletcher delivered 17 points and 19 rebounds coming off the bench. Winthrop (23-11) got 22 points and seven rebounds from Kareem Rozier, with Daylen Berry adding 18 points, Logan Duncomb contributing 17, and Kody Clouet chipping in 12.
Free throw shooting proved crucial in the outcome, as Winthrop converted just 18 of 31 attempts (58.1%) compared to High Point’s 27-of-32 performance (84.4%). The Panthers were particularly effective at the line in the second half, making 24 of 26 free throws.
