N. Iowa Stuns Overall No. 1 Kansas

St. Mary's upsets second-seeded Villanova
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 20, 2010 7:21 PM CDT
N. Iowa Stuns Overall No. 1 Kansas
Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor consoles Kansas teammate Marcus Morris (22) after their 69-67 loss to Northern Iowa, March 20, 2010, in Oklahoma City. Northern Iowa upset the top overall seed.   (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Northern Iowa upset overall No. 1 seed Kansas tonight in Oklahoma City, 69-67, sending a Missouri Valley team to the round of 16 for the first time since Larry Bird led Indiana State to the final in 1979. The Panthers led almost the whole way. Ali Farokhmanesh had missed six straight 3-pointers in the second half but never stopped shooting, knocking one down with about 36 seconds left to deflate Kansas. The gritty guard added a pair of clinching free throws with 4.8 seconds left.

The day's first stunner came when Omar Samhan recorded 32 points and seven rebounds to lead 10th-seeded Saint Mary's past No. 2 Villanova, 75-68. The Wildcats (25-8) played last year's Final Four and started this season 20-1, then collapsed. The Gaels (28-5), from Moraga, Calif., north of Oakland, will play third-seeded Baylor on Thursday. (More NCAA basketball stories.)

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