IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) –Travis Brown scored with 33 seconds left as Northern Iowa rallied form a 13-point second half deficit to beat Iowa 57-55, picking up its first-ever road win against the Hawkeyes.
Eric Coleman scored 21 points and had 15 rebounds for Northern Iowa (7-1), which had lost all 21 of its previous road games against Iowa (4-5).
With the game knotted at 55, the Panthers went to Brown, a 6-foot-3 guard, under the basket. Brown nailed a bank shot to push the Panthers lead to two. Iowa failed to convert on the other end and was forced to foul, but Brooks McKowen missed two foul shots with 14.4 left to give the Hawkeyes hope.
Iowa’s Tony Freeman, however, missed from the top of the key on the game’s final shot.
Down 10 at halftime, Northern Iowa went on a 17-2 run late in the game and took its first lead since midway through the first half, 53-51, with 1:42 left.
McKowen followed a Brown 3-pointer with a pair of free throws, and Coleman put the Panthers ahead with two from the line.
Adam Haluska tied the game at 53 with a one-handed jumper in the lane. Coleman pushed Northern Iowa’s lead back to 55-53 with free throws, but Tyler Smith answered with a floater.
Iowa had been ahead by at least six during the second half until Northern Iowa’s run, and led by as much as 49-36.
Smith led Iowa with 20 points.
The Hawkeyes used the long ball – and a healthy dose of Smith – to take a 28-18 lead into halftime.
Iowa jumped ahead early on the strength of a 16-4 run. Smith leapt past a crowd under the basket and slammed home a rebound to give the Hawkeyes a 13-7 lead midway through the opening half, and Seth Gorney put Iowa ahead by nine with a long jumper.
The Panthers edged within five, but Gorney buried another jumper to give Iowa a 26-16 lead.
Smith had 11 by the break. Tony Freeman chipped in with three 3-pointers.
Northern Iowa has now won three of its last four against Iowa.