Northern Iowa is headed back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2016 after capturing the Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship with an 84-69 win over UIC.
Trey Campbell led the way, knocking down six 3-pointers and finishing with 23 points as the Panthers used their perimeter shooting to create separation and close out the title.
Automatic bid secured
By winning the MVC tournament, Northern Iowa clinched the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA tournament. The Panthers’ victory ended an eight-year wait to return to March Madness.
UIC came up short in the championship game as Northern Iowa’s offense kept pace throughout and surged ahead behind Campbell’s shooting.