Halftime Report
S. Illinois is giving their home crowd exactly what they were hoping for. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead N. Iowa 33-15.
S. Illinois came into the game with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.
Who’s Playing
N. Iowa Panthers @ S. Illinois Salukis
Current Records: N. Iowa 11-7, S. Illinois 7-11
How To Watch
What to Know
S. Illinois will be in front of their home fans on Saturday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. They and the N. Iowa Panthers will face off in a Missouri Valley battle at 7:00 p.m. ET at Banterra Center. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
S. Illinois is headed into the contest having just posted their biggest victory since November 27, 2024 on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Missouri State with a sharp 73-51 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Salukis.
S. Illinois got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Ali Dibba out in front who went 8 for 15 en route to 22 points plus seven rebounds. Dibba had some trouble finding his footing against Missouri State on Saturday, so this was a step in the right direction. The team also got some help courtesy of Jarrett Hensley, who went 7 for 10 en route to 18 points plus two blocks.
Meanwhile, N. Iowa didn’t have too much trouble with Evansville on Tuesday as they won 73-56.
N. Iowa’s success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Will Hornseth led the charge by going 5 for 6 en route to 12 points. Hornseth had some trouble finding his footing against Illinois State on Saturday, so this was a nice turnaround. Another player making a difference was Trey Campbell, who scored ten points in addition to six rebounds and two steals.
S. Illinois’ win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 7-11. As for N. Iowa, their victory bumped their record up to 11-7.
Both pleased both fans and bettors in their last games by winning and covering the spread. Looking ahead, N. Iowa is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by five points. For those looking to play the spread, keep N. Iowa in mind: they have a solid 11-6 record against the spread this season.
S. Illinois came up short against N. Iowa when the teams last played back in December of 2024, falling 78-67. Will S. Illinois have more luck at home instead of on the road?
Odds
N. Iowa is a 5-point favorite against S. Illinois, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Panthers as a 4-point favorite.
The over/under is 143 points.
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Series History
N. Iowa has won 8 out of their last 10 games against S. Illinois.
- Dec 29, 2024 – N. Iowa 78 vs. S. Illinois 67
- Mar 03, 2024 – N. Iowa 82 vs. S. Illinois 70
- Jan 20, 2024 – N. Iowa 61 vs. S. Illinois 57
- Feb 22, 2023 – S. Illinois 86 vs. N. Iowa 63
- Jan 07, 2023 – N. Iowa 69 vs. S. Illinois 57
- Feb 09, 2022 – N. Iowa 53 vs. S. Illinois 44
- Jan 15, 2022 – N. Iowa 69 vs. S. Illinois 68
- Jan 31, 2021 – S. Illinois 71 vs. N. Iowa 68
- Jan 30, 2021 – N. Iowa 74 vs. S. Illinois 62
- Feb 23, 2020 – N. Iowa 64 vs. S. Illinois 52
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