Preview: Murray State at Northern Iowa

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (Interstat) — A surging Murray State squad looks to rebound from its first loss in over a month when it visits a struggling Northern Iowa team in a Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball matchup Saturday at McLeod Center.

The Racers (16-4, 7-1 MVC) saw an eight-game winning streak snapped Wednesday in a 101-90 road loss at Drake. Despite the defeat, Murray State’s potent offense was on display, led by 20 points from Javon Jackson and 19 from key reserve Roman Domon.

Domon, a player to watch for the Racers, has provided consistent scoring off the bench. He has averaged 13.4 points over his last seven games, including an 18-point performance against Valparaiso on Jan. 10 and 19 points in the recent loss at Drake.

Northern Iowa (12-8, 3-5) enters on a five-game skid, having not won since a 62-48 victory at Evansville on Jan. 4. The Panthers’ offense has stalled during the slump, failing to reach 70 points in any of the five losses. They fell 59-54 at Illinois State on Wednesday.

Ben Schwieger is the focal point for the Panthers. The guard averaged 14.4 points in his last eight contests, including a 17-point effort in a loss to Illinois-Chicago on Jan. 13. Northern Iowa will need a significant performance from him to keep pace with the high-scoring Racers.

Murray State, which boasts one of the MVC’s top records, leads the conference in scoring offense at 84.2 points per game. Northern Iowa, conversely, ranks near the bottom in scoring during league play. The contrast in recent form is stark: the Racers are 7-1 in their last eight, while the Panthers are 2-6 over the same stretch.

This game is the first of a regular-season series between the teams, who will meet again in Murray, Kentucky, on Feb. 9.

Tip-off is set for Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, at McLeod Center in Cedar Falls.