Either the St. Joseph's Hawks didn't really belong in the NCAA Tournament, or they didn't care too much once they were denied an at-large bid. The Northern Iowa Panthers didn't create much offensively and didn't shoot the ball particularly well, but offensive rebounds and St. Joe's turnovers guided them to a 67-65 win.
NIT Tournament 2012, Saint Joseph’s Vs. UNI: Panthers Hold On For Minor Upset, Win 67-65
The last minute of this game was frantic. With Northern Iowa up by three points, C.J. Aiken hit a three to tie the game at 63-63 with 50 seconds remaining. Seth Tuttle missed his attempt at the other end of the floor, but fought for an offensive rebound and a put-back basket. Ronald Roberts Jr. made a dunk to tie the game just seven seconds later. The Hawks' defense couldn't keep the ball out of Tuttle's hands, however, and Roberts ended up committing a foul with two seconds remaining. Tuttle made both free throws to ice the game.
Tuttle was his team's top performer with 23 points and 11 rebounds. UNI shot just 37.5 percent from the floor, but grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and did a good job of picking up points on second-chance opportunities. The Panthersmove on to face the Drexel Dragons in the NIT's second round.
For more on the NIT, be sure to check out our NCAA basketball hub. Also be sure to check out our 2012 NCAA Tournament hub for more on the Big Dance.
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