CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (Interstat) — Leon Bond scored 26 points to lead Northern Iowa to a 75-63 men’s basketball victory over Oakland on Saturday at McLeod Center.

The Panthers improved to 8-2 overall, while the Golden Grizzlies fell to 5-6. Northern Iowa never trailed after building a 38-30 halftime advantage. Bond, a 6-foot-5 guard from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, added two blocks in 37 minutes. Tristan Smith added 15 points for the Panthers.

Brody Robinson and Isaac Garrett each scored 12 points to pace Oakland, which got 11 points from both Ziare Wells and Brett White. A crowd of 3,794 watched the game. Northern Iowa next plays at Illinois-Chicago on Wednesday. Oakland visits Northern Kentucky the same day.