Northern Iowa opens Missouri Valley Conference play on the road at Southern Illinois tonight. U-N-I closed out non-conference action with a mark of three-and-eight after dropping two games at the Wisconsin Green Bay tournament, including a 75-68 loss to Samford on Saturday tonight. Coach Sam Weaver says it’s been a busy stretch for his team.Weaver says conference play gives them a chance to turn things around with a new season.Weaver says they’ve worked hard to overcome the loss of leading scorer Robbie Sieverding.The good news is senior forward Joe Breakinridge is returning to form. He finished with a double double on Saturday with 19-points on 9 of 14 shooting and ten rebounds.