Northern Iowa’s forward Leon Bond (35) puts the ball on the floor against Oakland forward Tuburu Naivalurua (12) during an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in McLeod Center on the campus of Northern Iowa. Photo/UNI Athletics

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Leon Bond III had 26 points in Northern Iowa’s 75-63 victory over Oakland on Saturday.

Bond added seven rebounds for the Panthers (8-2). Tristan Smith finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Trey Campbell made three 3-pointers and scored 14.

The Golden Grizzlies (5-6) were led by Isaac Garrett, who finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. Brody Robinson totaled 12 points and five assists, while Ziare Wells scored 11.

Northern Iowa took the lead for good with 1:58 remaining in the first half. The score was 38-30 at halftime, with Bond racking up 14 points. Northern Iowa pulled away with a 7-0 run in the second half to extend its lead to 15 points.

UNI ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Saturday’s game was the first all-time meeting between UNI and Oakland in men’s basketball.
• Northern Iowa has held nine of its first ten opponents under 70 points this season, including six under 60 points. UNI boasts the top scoring defense in Division I at 58 points per game.
• Leon Bond III recorded his second 20+ point game of the season on Saturday, including his fourth career game with 20 or more points.
• Saturday marked Tristan Smith’s 27th career double-double game and his first as a Panther.
• Ben Schwieger surpassed 400 points in his UNI career on Saturday, now sitting 98 points shy of becoming the 116th member of the Panthers’ 500 career point club.

Up Next

The Panthers return to action next Wednesday, Dec. 17 as they open Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play at UIC. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago with live coverage of the game can be found on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network (93.5 The Mix).