(Photo: Joe Puetz, USA TODAY Sports)
ST. LOUIS — An imperfect bunch arrived in St. Louis with dreams of saving a flawed season, clinging to visions of March mayhem. Injuries, a rugged nonconference slate and the typical Valley grind put Northern Iowa through the ringer this year.
The Panthers came up just short of a magical finish.
Despite an on-brand defensive performance for nearly 30 minutes, UNI couldn’t keep Bradley from storming back. The No. 6 seed Panthers coughed up an 18-point second-half lead and were left wondering what could have been. The Braves escaped Arch Madness with an NCAA Tournament berth, 57-54, at Enterprise Center.