Panthers Upend Iowa: Iowa Time Machine December 6, 2005

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On December 6, 2005, UNI upset twelfth-ranked Iowa in men’s basketball in the UNI-Dome in a 67-63 overtime victory. Erik Crawford sunk a go-ahead 3-pointer with under :45 to play, helping lift Greg McDermott’s Panthers over Steve Alford’s Hawkeyes.

Both the Hawkeyes and Panthers entered the season with high expectations. Alford’s team boasted a trio of notable Iowa standouts: Jeff Horner, Greg Brunner, and Adam Haluska. The team eventually posted a 25-9 record and won the Big 10 Tournament before advancing to the NCAA Tournament. McDermott’s Panthers featured Fairbank, Iowa, standout Brooks McCowen, as well as a Ben Jacobson (not THAT Ben Jacobson) from Sioux City. UNI also went on to make the NCAA Tournament while putting up a 23-10 record.

Iowa controlled the game early as Horner locked up Panther sharpshooter Jacobson. UNI hung tough as shots struggled to fall until Jacobson connected on back-to-back threes with just over two minutes to play to put the Panthers up 53-52. On the second, Jacobson, three Horner collided with UNI center Eric Coleman and went to the floor, writhing in pain. With Horner sidelined, Jacobson continued a tear that saw him score UNI’s last nine points in regulation to force overtime.

In the extra period, Crawford finally found his shot after going 1-7 from the floor in regulation. On a crazy possession, Jacobson missed back-to-back threes while the Panthers corralled offensive rebounds. After the second, the ball found Crawford, who found the bottom of the net. The 13,288 fans on hand witnessed the third consecutive upset of an Iowa team in the UNI-Dome. The visit was the final time the Panthers hosted the Hawkeyes in the Dome before the opening of the McLeod Center the following season. #Iowa #OTD #History #CollegeBasketball #Basketball