Northern Iowa pulled off what will likely be the biggest upset of the season in college basketball.
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The undefeated No. 1-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels (3-0) look to extend their hot start when they match up with the Northern Iowa Panthers (1-1) at McLeod Center.
In addition to his team leading 21 points, Washpun racked up four of his eight assists in those three minutes, and all of a sudden the game was only 52-48.
UNI was down 50-34 when they went on a 20-4 run to tie the game at 54. The Tar Heels never held the scoring advantage again. Jeremy Morgan’s steal with nine seconds left to ice the game may be the moment that Panthers fans remember ten years from now.
Without Paige, the Tar Heels have rolled to three straight nonconference wins, including the 78-58 decision over Wofford.
Wes Washpun is well aware of who North Carolina is and where the Tar Heels stand nationally. And consider UNC’s penultimate possession, when it was trailing by three points with 15 seconds remaining: Berry fired up a contested three-pointer that missed, and when he got the ball back six seconds later on an offensive rebound by Isaiah Hicks, Berry turned it over. These types of games are important not only for coaches to see the mettle their teams possess, but also for players to see how they react to adversity. “The game was just about over with 15 minutes left and our guys hung in there and made a couple shots”, Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson said.
Syracuse and North Carolina both punched tickets to Sunday’s championship game after semifinals wins on Friday at Ocker Field in Ann Arbor.
Then there’s the formidable starting front line of Meeks (6-10, 260), Brice Johnson (6-10, 230) and Justin Jackson (6-8, 200).
Linn-Mar grad Marcus Paige did not play in the game for the Tar Heels because of an injury.
Jonquel Jones led GW with 27 points and 17 rebounds.
(At) Rutgers 87, Cent Arkansas 84: Mike Williams scored a career-high 25 points, including five 3-pointers, and Deshawn Freeman scored a career-high 23 points with 10 rebounds to lead the Scarlett Knights. UNC’s defense was also a bit shaky, as the experienced Panther guards continually beat Jackson, and guards Joel Berry and Nate Britt off the dribble.
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And all because, presumably, UNC opened the season with a loss in a game it should have won. Evert scored her first goal 2:13 into the game and Fenne struck at the two-minute mark of Syracuse’s 3-1 win over two-time defending champion UConn.
