Northern Iowa vs. Wyoming: Score and Twitter Reaction from March Madness 2015

No. 5 Northern Iowa chose not to follow in the footsteps of an upset-filled start to the 2015 NCAA tournament, topping No. 12 Wyoming, 71-54, in Seattle Friday to advance to the round of 32.

The Panthers put the clamps on Wyoming early and didn't look back, leading by 11 at the break and as many as 21 after an early second-half run. Seth Tuttle scored 14 points on 4-of-12 shooting, but an eye-popping 41-2 bench-points advantage spurred UNI to a comfortable opening win.

A furious run from Larry Nance Jr. and Charles Hankerson Jr. (31 combined points) gave the Cowboys enough life to make up some ground, but they never came within striking distance of UNI's lead, despite Nance's heroic 15 second-half points.

The Panthers' defensive grit has never been in question, but a 23-of-50 performance from the field left CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein wondering what their ceiling might be:

Wyoming looked ready to deal with UNI's stifling defense in the early going by making its first four shots, but things quickly turned sour. Turnovers and bad shots allowed the deficit to continue growing, as Wyoming trailed by as many as 14 in the opening frame.

UNI's bench reinforcements played a big part in the early lead as well. Sports Illustrated's Ryan Krasnoo uncovered a shocking initial difference:

With a tight seven-man rotation, the Cowboys could ill afford to allow Northern Iowa to control the game from its bench. But the struggles of Nance and Josh Adams didn't help, as The Big Lead's Jason McIntyre forecasted a blowout after their early struggles:

As for Northern Iowa's offensive execution, it didn't always resemble a well-oiled machine but found ways to be effective. Tuttle and Wes Washpun's playmaking made for an interesting strategy, as ESPN's Kevin Pelton quipped:

A late first-half three-pointer cut the deficit to 35-24 for Wyoming, but UNI quickly jumped to a 21-point lead after building on an 8-0 run to start the second half. Every missed shot by Wyoming led to transition opportunities and open looks on the other end.

But right when the Cowboys looked dead in the water, Nance showed up in a desperate attempt to revive their season. Wyoming failed to make a single field goal until the 15:02 mark in the second half, when Nance rattled off 12 points in just over two minutes, suddenly trimming the deficit to under 10 heading down the stretch.

Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey wondered why it took so long and indicated it might be too little, too late:

And too little, too late it was. While Nance flexed his go-to muscle and Riley Grabau canned a three with 8:43 left to make it a nine-point contest, that's the last time the Cowboys would be within 10 as UNI put in four straight shots to begin pulling away.

CBS Sports' Seth Davis lauded their poise:

A couple of second-half Wyoming runs may have put it in jeopardy for a brief moment, but those who avoided picking the trendy upset-option Cowboys and logged UNI for a deep run are certainly celebrating, per CBS Sports:

Northern Iowa's defensive snarl was evident before the tournament as Ken Pomeroy's rankings listed them as the 18th-most efficient defensive squad. But overcoming a near 50 percent day from Wyoming and still winning comfortably should put folks on notice.

When Tuttle only goes 4-of-12 and the starters are outscored 52-30, but the Panthers still top an upset-minded Wyoming by 17, people will undoubtedly notice.

Wyoming's hopes for a tourney run have come to a bitter end, but the Cowboys can hold their heads up high after their late comeback bid. The deficit ended up being just too large to overcome.

Winners of 20 of their last 21 games, the Panthers will stand as a tall test for either No. 4 Louisville or No. 13 UC Irvine in Seattle's mid-afternoon tilt.