ST. LOUIS – The UNI men’s basketball team secured its place in history on Sunday, capturing the 2026 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Tournament championship (“Arch Madness”) with an 84-69 win over the fifth-seeded UIC Flames at Enterprise Center.
Northern Iowa clinches its sixth MVC Tournament title in program history and earns the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Tournament for the ninth time in school history. The Panthers, the lowest-seeded team to ever win Arch Madness at six, also become the first team in the 50-year history of the conference tournament to win four games in four days after starting play during the opening day of the event.
For their outstanding play during the four-day tournament, Trey Campbell was named the Doug Elgin Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament, while Leon Bond III joined him on the All-Tournament Team.
The Panthers attacked the paint early in a high-scoring first half with Max Weisbrod scoring six of UNI’s first 12 points. Northern Iowa scored 20 points in the paint in the first frame with excellent ball movement, recording assists on 15 of its 19 made baskets. Solid three-point shooting also helped contribute to UNI leading for the duration of the first half with seven made triples, including two three-point baskets each from Weisbrod, Campbell and Ben Schwieger. UIC would respond with a strong 14 point half from Elijah Crawford and 11 points from Ahmad Henderson II, but the Panthers would carry a seven-point lead into the break, 48-41.
UIC continued to cut into UNI’s lead as the Panthers continued to maintain a healthy lead in the second half. Despite the increased defensive pressure from the Flames, Northern Iowa dominated the glass, outrebounding UIC by a 13-5 margin on defense as Campbell continued to attack with four three-pointers in the final frame. UNI would close the game on a 13-4 run and stretch its lead to 15 for the victory.
Campbell finished the game with a team-high 23 points with a season-high six made three-pointers, while Schwieger tallied a season-best 18 points. Bond posted ten points and four assists in the win, as Tristan Smith scored ten points with a season-high seven assists and eight rebounds. RJ Taylor also scored five points off the bench.
MVC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Trey Campbell (UNI) [Doug Elgin Most Outstanding Player]
Leon Bond III
Elijah Crawford (UIC)
Rashund Washington (UIC)
Jalen Quinn (Drake)
ADDITIONAL NOTES
UNI improves to 17-12 all-time against UIC after splitting its two regular season matchups. Sunday was the first time the Panthers played the Flames in postseason action since the 1989 Mid-Continent Conference Tournament.
Northern Iowa has now won six MVC Tournament championships (2004, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2026), the most among active MVC schools. UNI now holds a 6-2 record in the Arch Madness title game and 5-1 mark under head coach Ben Jacobson.
The Panthers earn their ninth NCAA Division I Tournament berth with Sunday’s win (1990, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2026) and 21st national postseason appearance in school history after making three Division II Tournament appearances, three NIT berths, two CIT berths and four NAIA appearances.
Head coach Ben Jacobson extended his own record with his 24th MVC Tournament victory on Sunday after passing former Creighton coach Dana Altman for the most in the 50-year history of the tournament on Friday in the quarterfinals.
Sunday’s title game matchup tied the lowest combined seeds in MVC Tournament championship game history after sixth-seeded UNI and fifth-seeded Bradley previously set the mark in 2019.
Sunday marked the first time a team that opened the tournament playing in the opening round on Thursday won Arch Madness. The 2019-20 Valparaiso Beacons are the only other team to have made the title game. UNI is also now the lowest seed to ever win Arch Madness, besting the 2018-19 fifth-seeded Bradley Braves.
Trey Campbell joins Cam Johnson (1994), Ben Jacobson (2004), Kwadzo Ahelegbe (2010), Seth Tuttle (2015) and Wes Washpun (2016) as the sixth player in team history to be named MVC Tournament MVP.
UNI improves to 102-13 (.886) when scoring 80+ points under Ben Jacobson. The Panthers have won 36 of their last 42 games when surpassing 80 points, including 20 of their last 21.
Northern Iowa is now 18-1 in games when leading at halftime this year.
UNI trailed for a total of 34 seconds of game time in this year’s MVC Tournament.
UNI’s 67.9% shooting in the first half was an MVC Tournament title game record for a first half.
UNI has made at least one three-pointer in 182 consecutive games, a streak dating back to the 2020-21 season.
Trey Campbell started his 131st career game on Sunday, extending his streak to lead all active MVC players. Campbell has also started 99 consecutive contests.
Campbell also recorded his 11th career 20+ point game and fifth such game of the year.
Ben Schwieger recorded his 20th game of the season scoring in double figures.
Will Hornseth recorded his 14th game with ten or more points in his last 16 outings.
UP NEXT
The Panthers will learn their postseason fate next Sunday, March 15 during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, set to air at 5 p.m. CT on CBS.
