NCAA Basketball: Top 25 NCAA Tournament upsets since 2000

24. #14 Northwestern State 64, #3 Iowa 63 (2006 Round of 64)

Before the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks’ recent run of success, there was very little attention paid to the Southland Conference. When the Northwestern State Demons secured a 14-seed and a date with the Iowa Hawkeyes, many people wrote them off, especially against one of the nation’s top defensive teams.

The Hawkeyes jumped out to an 18-4 lead, but the Demons didn’t panic, scoring the next 14 points and tying the game. They still didn’t panic, as Iowa went on a second half run, eventually building a 17-point lead. The Demons clawed their way back into the game, making enough shots to pull within one-possession late in the game.

Down two and trapped in the corner after an offensive rebound, Jermaine Wallace had no choice but to shoot, flinging and making an impossible shot to give Northwestern State the unlikely win.

After winning the Big Ten Tournament just five days earlier, the Hawkeyes were doomed by a last-second shot, seeing a promising season come to a brutal end.

In Northwestern State’s best season in Division I history, senior forward Clifton Lee once again led the team, scoring 18 points, including 10 straight, as the Demons pulled back into the game late.

Iowa out-shot and out-rebounded the Southland champions, but were doomed by 19 turnovers and didn’t get much offense from their bench (just seven points). Iowa was rated first in the nation in defensive efficiency, but gave up 40 points in the second half and just couldn’t get enough stops to win this game.

Wallace’s incredible game-winner was the shot of the 2006 NCAA Tournament, though the Demons were unable to follow up the game. They would lose by 13 to the 6-seeded West Virginia Mountaineers in the second round, though they had already made their mark on the Tournament.

The often-disregarded Southland champs got their moment of spotlight, pulling an upset we won’t soon forget.