(article courtesy of huskers.com)
On a night when a 24-year offensive school record fell, the No. 9 Nebraska basketball team came up short in a defensive battle Tuesday night at Iowa, falling to the host Hawkeyes, 57-52.
The Huskers were held to a season-low 52 points against a stingy Iowa defense. NU was also limited to five 3-pointers, tying for their fewest in a game this season.
Pryce Sandfort had two of Nebraska’s five 3-pointers, increasing his season total to 90 threes as he set a school record for most 3-pointers in a season. Sandfort finished with a team-high 13 points, and he was joined in double figures by Jamarques Lawrence, who added 11 points.
Nebraska was held to a season-low 44 shots and tied its season low with 18 field goals. The Huskers shot just 41 percent from the field and were 5-of-24 from beyond the arc.
Nebraska’s defense kept the game close as the Huskers held Iowa to 33 percent shooting, but the Hawkeyes benefitted from a plus-10 advantage in points off turnovers and a plus-10 edge in offensive rebounds.
The loss was Nebraska’s first to an unranked team this season, as the Huskers fell to 22-4 on the year and dropped to 11-4 in Big Ten play. Iowa improved to 19-7 overall and 9-6 in conference action. The Hawkeyes were led by Bennett Stirt,z who scored a game-high 25 points. Stirtz took half as many shots (22) as the entire Nebraska team (44).
In the first half, the Huskers battled foul trouble as Iowa built a 10-point lead, only to see the Huskers claw back to within 33-28 at the break. Iowa shot 43.5 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Huskers, 19-6, in the opening 20 minutes, as Berke Buyuktuncel, Rienk Mast and Lawrence had two fouls apiece.
The Huskers trailed 7-5 before a Mast hook shot and a 3-pointer from Sandfort gave NU a 10-7 lead as his 3-pointer tied Cary Cochran’s single-season mark. The teams traded the lead for most of the first 15 minutes, as the teams had 6-0 runs but neither could take control. Nebraska led 21-19 when Mast picked up his second foul at the 4:47 mark. From there, the Hawkeyes went on an 11-0 run, as five straight points from Alvaro Folgueiras put the Hawkeyes up 30-21 with 1:36 left in the half. Iowa extended the lead to 33-23 after a Bennett Stirtz 3-pointer with 58 seconds left before a Sam Hoiberg basket and Cale Jacobsen 3-pointer put the Huskers within five at the break.
Nebraska trailed 36-28 early in the second half, but the Huskers turned up the defensive intensity and ran off six straight points as a Mast putback and a Buyuktuncel layup pulled NU within 36-34 with 15:36 left and forced an Iowa timeout. The Huskers continued to fight as a Sandfort’s record-breaking 3-pointer knotted the score at 39 before a Mast basket with 13:03 left put the Huskers ahead for the first time since the first half at 41-39.
Sandfort’s 3-pointer with 14:09 left in regulation gave him 90 for the year, breaking Cary Cochran’s school record of 89 which stood since 2002.
Nebraska tied it up at 45-all on a Mast basket with 6:50 left, but Stirtz scored five straight points, including a 3-pointer to make it 50-45 with 4:58 remaining.
Iowa would not make another basket the rest of the game, as the Hawkeyes’ final eight points came at the free throw line. But Nebraska could not take advantage, as the Huskers were just 2-of-5 from the field over the final five minutes. Nebraska made a late run as a Lawrence 3-pointer cut the Hawkeye lead to three with 27 seconds remaining, but Iowa iced the win by hitting four free throws in the final 24 seconds.
Nebraska limited Iowa to 25.0 percent shooting in the second half, but the Hawkeyes outscored the Huskers 9-1 in points off turnovers.
The Huskers return home to begin a two-game homestand on Saturday, Feb. 21, when Nebraska hosts Penn State. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be televised on BTN and carried on the Huskers Radio Network.
Nebraska Postgame Notes
*-Nebraska falls to 22-4 on the season with its fourth straight loss to Iowa dating back to Jan. 12, 2024.
*-Nebraska falls to 3-21 all-time in Iowa City, including 2-12 since joining the Big Ten. The home team has now won 14 of the past 17 meetings in the series.
*-Nebraska’s 52 points was a season low (58 vs. Michigan State)
*-Pryce Sandfort set Nebraska’s single-season 3-point record with two 3-pointers against Iowa tonight. Sandfort now has 90 3-pointers on the season, breaking/tying the mark of 89 by Cary Cochran in 2001-02.
*-With two steal(s) tonight, Sam Hoiberg moved past Brandon Richardson (145, 2009-12) for ninth on NU’s career steals list. He now has (52+) steals on the season, the most since Richardson had 54 in 2012. (also Lance Jeter (57, 2010-11).
