Northern Iowa tops UIC in MVC final for 1st NCAA berth since 2016

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Trey Campbell hit six 3-pointers in scoring 23 points and Northern Iowa defeated UIC 84-69 to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and an automatic NCAA bid on Sunday.

The Panthers (23-12) won the tournament for the sixth time and earned their ninth NCAA appearance and first since 2016. Sixth-seeded UNI became to lowest seed to win the tournament and the first to win four games in four days.

Campbell was 8-of-13 shooting, including 6 of 9 from the arc, for the Panthers, who shot 63% and were 12 of 23 on 3-pointers. Ben Schwieger was 7-of-8 shooting and made three 3-pointers to finish with 18 points. Will Hornseth and Leon Bond added 10 each. Tristan Smith had a game-high eight rebounds to go with nine points.

Elijah Crawford scored 28 points on 13-of-29 shooting to lead the fifth-seeded Flames (19-15). Ahmad Henderson II added 13, and Rashund Washington Jr. and Jayce Nathaniel 10 each. UIC shot 44% against the nation’s top scoring defense (61.1 ppg).

The Panthers led all the way and were ahead 48-41 at halftime. After hitting just one of its first six shots to open the second half, the Panthers made seven in row, including a pair of 3s from Campbell and another by Schwieger, to lead by 13.

The Flames rallied behind Nathaniel and Crawford who scored all the points in a 9-2 run to get within six. Campbell stopped that run with a straightaway 3-pointer to begin a 13-2 run that ended with UNI up by 17 - their largest lead - with 37 seconds left.