• Box Score: Northern Iowa 65, Creighton 62
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CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Anthony James' 3-point basket as time expired Saturday lifted Northern Iowa to a 65-62 upset of Creighton.
The No. 13 Bluejays had tied the game when Antoine Young made a 3-point shot with 4.6 seconds to play. James then nailed the winning shot before being mobbed by students that stormed the court at the McLeod Center.
James finished with 18 points and scored Northern Iowa's final seven points as the Panthers improved to 15-9 and 6-7 in the Missouri Valley. Creighton had an 11-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 21-3 and 11-2.
Young led Creighton with 23 points, while Doug McDermott added 18 and had 12 rebounds. Set Tuttle had 13 points for Northern Iowa, while Deon Mitchell added 12.
James hit a 3-pointer with 23.4 seconds left and had a free throw with 12.6 to play to put his team up by one. Young's basket tied the game but James had one more shot in him.
Northern Iowa took a 40-35 lead early in the second half but Creighton countered with an 8-0 run on a 3-pointer by Ethan Wragge, a Wragge tip-in and a three-point play by McDermott to take a 43-40 lead with 11:04 left.
James' driving basket and a 3-pointer on the next possession put Northern Iowa back in front 45-43. Creighton tied the game when Austin Chatman threw in an off-balance jumper with two seconds on the shot clock.
The Panthers then ran off the next six points, with Chip Rank's 3-pointer capping the spurt with 5:12 to play to give Northern Iowa a 51-45 lead. Creighton got back within three on Young's three-point play with 4:05 remaining.
Deon Mitchell's two free throws put the Panthers ahead by five but Creighton got a hook shot from Echenique and two McDermott free throws to pull within 53-52 with 2:25 to play.
The teams exchanged baskets before Jake Koch made a 3-point basket from the corner for a 58-54 Northern Iowa lead with 1:09 left. Young's two free throws cut Creighton's deficit to two with 55 seconds to play to set up a dramatic final minute.
Creighton spent most of the first half playing catch-up but took a 26-25 lead when Young scored on a jumper with 2:41 left. The Panthers quickly countered with 3-point baskets by Johnny Moran and Chip Rank to make it 31-26.
The Bluejays scored the final four points on a Young drive and Gregory Echenique's dunk off a steal by Young.
Creighton struggled getting shots to fall in the first 20 minutes, shooting 46.4 percent after starting the game 4 of 15 (26.7 percent). The Bluejays did hold the Panthers to 38.7 percent shooting, but Northern Iowa was 5 of 11 (45.5 percent) from beyond the arc.
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