Kathryn Sears
ST. LOUIS — Trey Campbell hit six 3-pointers and scored 23 points, and Northern Iowa defeated UIC 84-69 to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and an automatic NCAA Tournament bid Sunday.
The Panthers (23-12) won the tournament for the sixth time and earned their ninth NCAA appearance and first since 2016. Sixth-seeded UNI became the lowest seed to win the tournament and the first to win four games in four days.
The fifth-seeded Flames (19-15) were seeking their first MVC Tournament championship, their fourth NCAA appearance and their first since 2004.
Campbell was 8 of 13 shooting, including 6 of 9 behind the arc, for the Panthers, who shot 63% and were 12 of 23 on 3-pointers.
Ben Schwieger was 7 of 8 shooting and made three 3-pointers to finish with 18 points. Will Hornseth and Leon Bond added 10 each. Tristan Smith had a game-high eight rebounds to go with nine points.
Elijah Crawford scored 28 points on 13-of-29 shooting to lead the fifth-seeded Flames (19-15). Ahmad Henderson II added 13 and Rashund Washington Jr. and Jayce Nathaniel 10 each. UIC shot 44% against the nation’s top scoring defense (61.1 ppg).
The Panthers led all the way and were ahead 48-41 at halftime. After hitting just one of their first six shots to open the second half, the Panthers made seven in row, including a pair of 3s from Campbell and another by Schwieger, to lead by 13.
The Flames rallied behind Nathaniel and Crawford, who scored all the points in a 9-2 run to get within six. Campbell stopped that run with a straightaway 3-pointer to begin a 13-2 run that ended with UNI up by 17 — their largest lead — with 37 seconds left.
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