OKLAHOMA CITY — Ali Farokhmanesh hit another big 3-pointer with 34 seconds left and Northern Iowa pulled off the biggest upset in the NCAA tournament, beating top overall seed Kansas 69-67 in the second round today.
Northern Iowa (30-4) won the tempo tug-of-war, grounding the high-flying Jayhawks with in-their-jersey defense, then withstood a furious rally to become the first team to beat a No. 1 seed in the second round since UAB and Alabama did it to Kentucky and Stanford in 2004.
The ninth-seeded Panthers led early and made just enough plays late to pull off the biggest win in their history.
Kansas (33-3) trailed nearly the entire game, finally pulling close in the closing minutes behind its fullcourt pressure. The Jayhawks never made it all the way back, though, bowing out early in what was supposed to be another title run.