National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Northern Iowa 71, North Carolina 67
When: 2:00 PM ET, Saturday, November 21, 2015
Where: McLeod Center, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Officials: # Don Daily, # Gerry Pollard, # Mike Stuart
Attendance: 7018

Senior guard Wes Washpun had 21 points and eight assists, and senior guard Matt Bohannon scored 19 points as Northern Iowa beat a No. 1 team for the second time in school history by recording a 71-67 victory over North Carolina at Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Bohannon hit the tie-breaking 3-pointer with 2:55 remaining and junior guard Jeremy Morgan made a key steal to thwart a tying attempt by the Tar Heels.

Senior guard Paul Jesperson added 14 points and seven rebounds, and Morgan had 10 points and three thefts for the Panthers (2-1), who also beat No. 1 Kansas in the 2010 NCAA tournament.

Sophomore forward Jackson scored 25 points for North Carolina (3-1). Junior forward Kennedy Meeks had 10 points and nine rebounds and senior forward Brice Johnson added 10 points for the Tar Heels, who blew a 16-point second-half lead.

Bohannon's 3-pointer gave Northern Iowa a 66-63 lead with 2:55 remaining and the Panthers never trailed again. Bohannon made two free throws to make it a five-point margin with 1:07 left and Jackson hit a jumper to pull the Tar Heels within 70-67 with 56 seconds left.

North Carolina had a chance at a tying 3-pointer and sophomore guard Joel Barry II attempted a cross-court pass to the right corner. Morgan stepped into the passing lane and intercepted the pass before being fouled and hit one of two free throws with 6.1 seconds left to provide the final margin.

The Tar Heels opened the second half strong with a 9-2 push and Johnson's jumper made it 50-34 with 17:10 to play.

Northern Iowa dominated the next eight minutes and the 22-4 burst led to a 56-54 lead after a layup by sophomore guard Wyatt Lohaus with 9:17 to play.

Northern Iowa trailed by nine points at the midway point of the first half before rolling off 10 straight and taking a 21-20 lead on two free throws by Jesperson.

The Tar Heels responded with 11 consecutive points to take a 10-point edge and settled for a 41-32 lead at the break.
Top Game Performances
 
North Carolina   Northern Iowa
Justin Jackson 25 Scoring Wes Washpun 21
Theo Pinson 5 Assists Wes Washpun 8
Kennedy Meeks 9 Rebounds Paul Jesperson 7
Justin Jackson 4 Free Throws Made Jeremy Morgan 4
Nate Britt 1 Steals Jeremy Morgan 3
Brice Johnson 2 Blocks Ted Friedman 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
North Carolina 67 44.8 5-18 10-13 17 38 3 3 12
Northern Iowa 71 42.1 11-28 12-19 10 26 1 8 6