UNI Men’s Basketball Aims for Victory Against Bradley to Secure Two-Seed

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — In a crucial matchup for Missouri Valley Conference standings, the University of Northern Iowa men’s basketball team is set to face the Bradley Braves on Sunday, March 2, at 1 p.m. CT. A victory for UNI would guarantee them the two-seed in next week’s MVC Tournament in St. Louis.

With an overall record of 20-10 and a conference record of 14-5, the Panthers find themselves narrowly trailing Bradley in their all-time series, with the current record standing at 37-39. Despite this, UNI has claimed victory in their last two meetings against the Braves, including an impressive 83-69 win on February 2 in Cedar Falls.

The Panthers’ performance at home in their last game against UIC showcased their offensive strength, featuring a convincing 74-52 win. This marked the first time since the 2019-20 season that UNI has defeated an MVC opponent twice in a single season by over 20 points. Senior guard Hutson led the team and matched his career-high with 26 points, supplemented by four rebounds and four assists.

In addition to Hutson’s standout performance, teammates contributed significantly, with notable efforts from Anderson, who scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Campbell, who added 12 points and eight boards. Collectively, the Panthers maintained an impressive shooting percentage of 53% during the game.

This season, UNI has exhibited a robust shooting game, ranking seventh in all of NCAA Division I with a shooting percentage of 49.2%. The Panthers have managed to shoot above 50% in 13 of their 29 games and are on track for the sixth-highest shooting percentage in program history.

Leading the team in scoring is Anderson with 15.5 points per game, alongside his team-high average of 6.6 rebounds per game. In MVC action, the Panthers have consistently outperformed their opponents in the paint, scoring nearly 34 points per game inside while opposing teams have averaged more than six points less.

On the opposing side, Bradley, boasting a record of 23-7 and also standing at 14-5 in conference play, is expected to provide a formidable challenge. The Braves recently won a critical game against MVC regular season champion Drake but suffered a setback against Illinois State. In their latest match, Bradley overcame Valparaiso in a comeback win, leveraging a 40.9% shooting success from behind the arc, the highest in the nation.

Duke Deen, Bradley’s leading scorer and MVC Preseason Player of the Year, averages 14.3 points, alongside 3.7 assists per game and leads the conference in three-point shot attempts. Darrius Hannah leads the team with 5.7 rebounds per game, while Zek Montgomery has been a valuable contributor with an average of 12.6 points.

As the two teams prepare for this significant matchup, fans can follow updates through social media channels and on the UNI Panthers’ official website, where full details on the season’s schedule and roster are available.