Northern Iowa senior guard Paul Jesperson scored 18 points, helping the Panthers fend off Washington State 63-59 Wednesday in the Diamond Head Classic at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.

In a tight, back-and-forth contest, Jesperson hit a pair of free throws to put the Panthers up 56-53 with three minutes to play and then connected on a straightaway 3-pointer that extended the lead to 60-55 with 1:30 left.

Forward Josh Hawkinson led the Cougars with 14 points and 12 rebounds, and center Ike Iroegbu added 12 points, including a layup that trimmed Northern Iowa's lead to 62-59 with 5.1 seconds to play.

However, guard Wes Washpun made a free throw that sealed the victory for the Panthers (8-4). Washpun finished with 16 points.

Guard Jeremy Morgan added 14 points for Northern Iowa. Morgan had nine in the first half, helping Northern Iowa grab a 30-29 lead at intermission.

The Cougars (7-4) committed 19 turnovers to just eight for the Panthers, and Washington State was outscored at the free throw line 19-4.

Northern Iowa owns upsets over then-No. 1 North Carolina and then-No. 5 Iowa State.