Game 9: #6 UNI 73, #2 Bradley 69
Saturday, March 7, 2026
Session 4 Attendance: 7,444
MVC Tournament Notes — UNI will make its seventh appearance in the championship game of the MVC Tournament but the first since 2019 when they lost to Bradley, 57-54. This marks only the second time the No. 6 seed will play in the championship game of the MVC Tournament. The previous time was in 2019 when then No. 6 seed UNI lost to Bradley, 57-54, in the championship. This will be the first time the No. 5 and 6 seeds face off in the championship game.
UNI shot .659 (29-44) from floor which ranks No. 2 in MVC Tournament single-game history, trailing only .660 shooting (35-53) by Illinois State against Southern Illinois in the first round of the 1998 MVC Tournament…UNI also shot 71.4 percent (20-28) in the first half, becoming the first team in MVC Tournament to shoot 70 percent in a half since a 2006 first-round game when Indiana State shot 76.7 (23-30) in the second half against Drake …The Panthers .714 shooting ranks No. 7 on the all-time field goal percentage by a team in a half.
Northern Iowa Notes — The Panthers, winning their fourth straight game, improved their record to 22-12 —the best mark at the school since UNI went 25-6 during 2019-20 season...UNI moved to 32-27 in the MVC Tournament, including an 8-5 record in semifinal round games and and 4-4 record against Bradley. Ben Jacobson improved his coaching record to 6-4 in the semifinal round and 16-12 in his career against Bradley. The Panthers are 40-40 all-time vs. Bradley.
Panthers Player Plaudits — Redshirt junior Leon Bond II led the Panthers for the second straight game with 19 points for his 24th double-figure scoring game, including 13 in the first half on 6-of-7 shooting. He didn’t take his first shot of the second half until 8:42 left, making a 3-point basket. He also scored 19 in Friday’s quarterfinal round win against Illinois State.
Senior guard Trey Campbell added 13 points along with a game high in assists (six) and steals (four). He ranks No. 3 on the school career list in steals (170), No. 4 on the school career list in three-point field goals (213) and No. 13 on school career scoring list (1,366). Senior forward Ben Schwieger contributed 10 points along with a team-high five rebounds and four assists. Junior guard RJ Taylor came off the bench scoring a season-high 10 points on four-of-four shooting including a career-tying three three-point baskets.
Bradley Notes — The Braves, who had a two-game winning streak snapped, moved to 21-12. Bradley’s MVC Tournament record moved to 44-43, including a 10-14 mark in the semifinal round and a 4-4 record against UNI. The Braves loss ties the all-time series between Bradley and UNI at 40-40. Bradley pulled down a season-low 22 rebounds.
Braves Player Plaudits — Sophomore Timoty van der Knaap led the Braves in scoring with 12 points, reaching double figures for the seventh time this season. He added a team-best six rebounds, and had the only block of the game for Bradley. Senior forward Corey Thomas tied his season-high 11 points, powered by a pair of 3-pointers and added a career-best three steals. Senior forward AJ Smith scored 10 points, reaching double figures for the 13th time this season. Senior center Ahmet Jonovic scored eight second-half points, to give him 10 total. Bradley’s top scorer this year, Jaquan Johnson, was held to just nine points, going just 3-for-11 from the field. He was 8-for-30 in the MVC Tournament.
First Half Recap — Both teams came out shooting well as UNI opened 8-of-11 from the field while Bradley started 4-of-7. The Braves took their first lead at 7-6 with 16:59 remaining, but UNI responded with an 8-2 run to regain control at 14-9. The Panthers continued their efficient shooting, hitting six of their next seven shots during a 10-4 spurt to stretch the lead to 20-13. After Bradley cut the margin to 20-17 at the 10:32 mark, UNI used a dominant 17-2 run over 5:57 to build its largest lead at 18. RJ Taylor and Trey Campbell each scored five points during the surge as Bradley shot just 1-of-7 in that span. A Timoty van der Knaap dunk ended a 3:42 Bradley drought as UNI finished the half shooting 71.4% (20-28) and did not miss back-to-back field goals the entire half.
Second Half Recap — After a red-hot first half, UNI cooled making just one field goal in the first 4:09 and starting the half 1-of-3 from the field. Bradley cut the deficit to 49-40 with 15:25 left to get back within single digits for the first time since late in the opening half. The Braves extended the push with an 11-2 run, capped by a Corey Thomas 3-pointer that trimmed the margin to 51-45. UNI answered with a 9-3 spurt to rebuild a 64-53 lead. Bradley responded with five straight free throws to cut it to 64-58 before RJ Taylor knocked down a 3-pointer to end a 4:17 Panther field-goal drought. Ahmet Jonovic’s three-point play made it 67-62, and Montana Wheeler later buried a three to pull Bradley within 72-69 before Leon Bond III hit three free throws in the final 43 seconds to seal the win.