Preview: Illinois State at Northern Iowa CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (Interstat) — Two teams locked in a tie in the Missouri Valley Conference standings will meet Wednesday when Northern Iowa hosts Illinois State at McLeod Center. Both the Panthers and Redbirds enter with identical 18-11 overall records. The matchup is a critical late-season test for NCAA Tournament résumés and seeding for the upcoming conference tournament. Illinois State seeks a regular-season sweep after defeating Northern Iowa 59-54 in Normal on Jan. 21. The Redbirds, however, are looking to rebound from a 74-60 road loss at Bradley on Saturday. Guard Landon Wolf has been a consistent scoring threat, averaging 10.6 points over his last eight games. He scored 12 points in the loss to Bradley and had 12 in the previous win over Murray State. Northern Iowa is also coming off a narrow home loss, falling 59-57 to Southern Illinois on Saturday. The Panthers had previously won four of five, including an 81-60 rout at Indiana State. Forward Will Hornseth has been a standout during that stretch, averaging 15.8 points over his last eight contests. He posted 18 points in the win over Drake on Feb. 15 and 21 points against Evansville on Jan. 31. The game features a contrast in recent momentum. Illinois State has lost three of its last five, while Northern Iowa had won five of six before Saturday’s setback. Both teams have shown offensive firepower, with each scoring 86 points in separate wins earlier this month. Defensive execution will be pivotal. The first meeting was a low-scoring affair, and both teams have held opponents under 65 points in key victories this season. With only a few games remaining before the conference tournament, Wednesday’s result will significantly impact the final MVC standings. The winner gains a valuable tiebreaker and momentum heading into March. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST at McLeod Center.