Northern Iowa stuns No. 1 North Carolina
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Wes Washpun scored 21 points, and Northern Iowa stunned top-ranked North Carolina 71-67 on Saturday for its first win over the nation's No. 1 team.
The Panthers used a 29-8 stretch over 12 minutes of the second half to turn a 50-34 deficit into a 63-58 lead and held on for the upset.
Northern Iowa also got 19 points from Matt Bohannon and 14 points from Paul Jesperson.
This is the Panthers' second win over a No. 1 team. Northern Iowa famously knocked off Kansas in the NCAA tournament round of 32 in 2010.
Justin Jackson had 25 points for the Tar Heels (3-1), who scheduled a trip to Cedar Falls so senior Marcus Paige could play in his home state.
Paige didn't play because of a broken bone in his right hand. The Tar Heels could have used him, as Paige's replacement, Joel Berry, had just five points on 2-of-7 shooting and the Tar Heels committed 12 turnovers.
The Panthers (2-1) also beat the Tar Heels in the paint, 24-22, after Kennedy Meeks scored the first eight points for UNC.
The Associated Press and ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report.
