NATCHITOCHES – Twenty years after crafting one of March Madness’ signature moments, the Demons of Destiny can be within the highlight Tuesday night time.
Former Northwestern State head coach Mike McConathy and members of the 2005-06 Demon basketball staff will participate within the “Cinderella Wears Purple” 20th anniversary celebration at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum from 6-7:30 p.m. on March 17. The museum is positioned at 800 Front Street in downtown Natchitoches.
The 20-year celebration happens on the anniversary of the Demons’ 64-63 NCAA Tournament victory towards third-seeded Iowa on Jermaine Wallace’s last-second 3-pointer. The occasion is free and open to the general public. There can be a reception adopted by this system, which can be moderated by longtime Northwestern sports activities info director and present particular assistant to the president Doug Ireland.
Attendees can have the chance to work together with the panelists and ask questions throughout the panel.
Wallace’s nook jumper over the outstretched arm of Iowa’s Adam Haluska capped a outstanding Northwestern rally from 17 factors down with 8:29 remaining within the sport.
Clifton Lee tallied 16 factors in a 20-6 Demon run to chop the Hawkeyes’ result in 60-57 with lower than two minutes to play, serving to set up one of the best moments in NCAA Tournament historical past.
Fittingly for a staff who embodied its coach’s mantra of “the MVP of our team is our team,” Northwestern’s last sequence got here off of an offensive rebound as Wallace grabbed the carom off a missed Kerwin Forges jumper, retreated to the left nook and buried the largest shot in program historical past.
Tagged by then-Demon Sports Network radio announcer and present ESPN+ play-by-play voice Patrick Netherton because the “Demons of Destiny,” Northwestern’s unbelievable victory ignited a storm of nationwide media consideration for this system and the college that maintains right now. Wallace’s shot is a staple of NCAA Tournament spotlight reels and was voted the 2006 Pontiac Game Changing Performance award for the match. Fan voting resulted in a $105,000 basic scholarship donation by General Motors/Pontiac to the college.