Anthony James hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer, lifting Northern Iowa past No. 12 Creighton, 65-62.

Creighton’s Antoine Young tied the game at 62 with a 3-pointer with six seconds remaining, but James answered with a step-back 3-pointer as time expired.

James, Northern Iowa’s leading scorer, didn’t start because of a nagging injury, but scored 16 points off the bench. Young scored 23 for the Bluejays.

Northern Iowa (16-9, 6-7 MVC) dictated the pace and led for the majority of the game. The Panthers held the best shooting team in the country to 42.1 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Creighton (21-3, 11-2 Missouri Valley), which also leads the nation in assists with 19.3 per game, had just five assists in the loss.

Doug McDermott, who committed to Northern Iowa, but was released to follow his father to Creighton, was booed and double-teamed whenever he touched the ball. The sophomore scored 18 points and grabbed 12 boards.

Northern Iowa hit five threes in the opening period to take a 31-30 lead into the locker room. Seth Tuttle scored 11 before the break for Northern Iowa. Young, Creighton’s only senior, paced the Bluejays with 12 first half points.

Northern Iowa turned the ball over just twice the entire game. Neither team led by more than six.