NORMAL, Ill. — In a thrilling contest on Saturday night, Trey Campbell shone for Northern Iowa, scoring an impressive 30 points, while Tytan Anderson secured the victory with a buzzer-beater layup, leading the Panthers to a narrow 85-84 triumph over Illinois State.

Campbell’s performance was not only limited to scoring; he also grabbed five rebounds, playing a crucial role as Northern Iowa improved to a record of 10-7 overall and 4-2 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Anderson contributed significantly with 14 points, alongside seven rebounds and seven assists, while teammate Ben Schwieger matched Anderson’s scoring output with another 14 points.

On the other side, Illinois State, which now holds a record of 10-7 and 2-4 in the conference, saw Chase Walker lead their efforts with 27 points and nine rebounds. Johnny Kinziger also made a significant contribution with 19 points and four assists, while Jordan Davis added 16 points, recorded six rebounds, and made two steals.

During the first half, Campbell managed to score 11 points, but the Panthers found themselves down by seven as they headed into halftime, with the score being 43-36 in favor of Illinois State. However, Campbell bounced back strongly in the second half, leading his team with 19 points to help secure the thrilling one-point victory.