MBB

Northern Iowa 74, at Illinois State 52

Friday, March 6, 2026 · Final · Missouri Valley

Missouri Valley 1 2 PTS

Northern Iowa Panthers

23-13 · L1 · #72 (1560 ELO +33)

35 39 74

Illinois State Redbirds

23-13 · L1 · #93 (1498 ELO -33)

27 25 52

Enterprise Center · St. Louis, MO

Attendance: 8,897

Officials: Randy Heimerman, Edward Crenshaw, Kipp Kissinger

Northern Iowa vs. Illinois State

ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — In a commanding display of defensive intensity and offensive execution, the Northern Iowa Panthers avenged two regular-season losses to Illinois State with a decisive 74-52 victory in a Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball tournament quarterfinal Friday night at Enterprise Center. A crowd of 8,897 watched as the Panthers, the tournament’s seed, stifled the fourth-seeded Redbirds from the opening tip, building a lead that swelled to as many as 24 points in the second half. The win improved Northern Iowa’s record to 21-12 and advanced them to a Saturday semifinal against top-seeded Bradley. Illinois State’s season ends… Read more...

Top Statlines

Leon Bond UNI 30m 19p 4r
Ben Schwieger UNI 26m 11p 8r 3a 1b
Johnny Kinziger ILST 37m 8p 3r 3a

Forecasting

ELO Probability UNI 52.7%

Money Line ILST +105/UNI -125

Over/Under 125.5 (Over)