Bond leads Northern Iowa to 74-52 upset victory over Illinois State in MVC quarterfinals

Leon Bond III had 19 points in Northern Iowa’s 74-52 upset victory over Illinois State in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament

March 7, 2026Updated: March 7, 2026
AP nullBy The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Leon Bond III had 19 points in Northern Iowa's 74-52 upset victory over Illinois State on Friday night in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

No. 6 seed Northern Iowa advances to play No. 2 seed Bradley in a Saturday semifinal. No. 5 seed UIC and No. 9 seed Drake square off in the other semifinal.

Bond shot 9 for 13, including 1 for 4 from beyond the arc for the Panthers (21-12). Trey Campbell totaled 12 points and six rebounds, while Ben Schwieger scored 11.

Chase Walker led the way for the Redbirds (20-12) with 11 points and two blocks.

Northern Iowa took the lead for good with 19:44 left in the first half. The score was 35-27 at halftime, with Campbell racking up eight points.

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