Trey Campbell powers UNI men’s basketball to lopsided win over Western Illinois

CEDAR FALLS — Despite a slow start, Northern Iowa toppled Western Illinois, 82-56, Tuesday night in a men’s basketball game at McLeod Center.

With 3:34 remaining in the first half, UNI (3-2) held just a seven-point lead on the Leathernecks (2-3) after making 11 of its 16 (69 percent) field goals.

After a media timeout, the Panthers turned up their defensive pressure, grabbing six steals in the half’s final 2:47.

“Things (became) hard enough for (Western Illinois) and that’s the way you like it to be where they get to the point where they feel like they maybe have to do something they haven’t practiced,” UNI Coach Ben Jacobson said. “(Defense) was better tonight.”

As UNI piled up steals it also piled up points, going on an 11-0 run to end the half.

Freshman center Will Hornseth started the barrage of steals and went coast-to-coast for a fast break layup. Junior guard Trey Campbell, RJ Taylor, Tytan Anderson and Leon Bond made up the five Panthers responsible for the six steals in less than three minutes and Bond punctuated the thievery with a steal and fast break dunk to beat the halftime buzzer.

“I feel like it was just — we looked around and really just had to set the tone (defensively),” Anderson said. “We just looked at everybody and was like, ‘we got to do something,’ because if (they) keep it close then obviously they’re going to get some momentum at some point.”

Leading 42-24 to begin the second half, UNI expanded its lead to as many as 29 points with 5:33 remaining when Ben Schwieger drove past, and over, WIU defenders for a fast break layup.

Campbell led the Panthers with a game-high 18 points. Anderson and Schwieger joined him in double figures, with 17 and 13 points, respectively — Schwieger’s coming off the bench

“Man, there’s a lot of things to like,” Jacobson said of Schwieger. “What I like the most is the increase just in his confidence and the way he’s carried himself — we’ve kind of seen it over every week to 10 days and it’s happened even quicker here of late. As we’re seeing he can really play.”

For Campbell — who was coming off a career-worst 1-10 shooting performance in last Saturday’s 79-73 loss at Wichita State — his performance against the Shockers was not on his mind entering Tuesday’s game.

“If it was on my mind then I would have had the same outcome. I was thinking I just gotta keep that in the past and move forward,” Campbell said. “I know what I can do (and) trust my work.”

UNI returns to action on Nov. 28 at the NIT Season Tip-Off in Kissimmee, Fla., against North Texas (3-1). Tip-off at State Farm Fieldhouse is at 7 p.m. (ESPNU).