Nebraska basketball falls to Iowa as Sandfort breaks 3-point record

Nebraska basketball (22-4, 11-4) fell to Iowa 57-52 on Tuesday in a physical, scrappy contest. The Huskers struggled to find any offensive rhythm, as a stout defensive outing wasn’t enough to win in Iowa City for the first time since 2023.

Pryce Sandfort broke the single-season program record (89) for made 3-pointers, knocking down two in the loss. He led the way with 13 points on 3-of-7 shooting from the field. Rienk Mast added eight points and eight rebounds.

The Huskers shot 41% from the field and 21% from deep. The Hawkeyes won the rebounding battle 37-24 thanks to a dominant first half while nine Nebraska steals kept Iowa’s offense at bay.

Here is an instant recap of the loss:

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Huskers avoid massive deficit

Nebraska’s offense could not find any rhythm in the first half. Over the first 19 minutes, the Huskers shot just 36.8% from the field and 2-of-11 from deep. Iowa’s physicality and defensive intensity made life difficult.

The Hawkeyes dominated the boards, out-rebounding Nebraska 19-6 in the first half. A perfect 10-of-10 clip from the charity stripe helped them build a 10-point lead, but nine turnovers kept the Huskers around.

Former Hawkeye Pryce Sandfort faced a chorus of boos every time he touched the ball. He opened the scoring but was the only player who hit a shot over the first three minutes. Nebraska started 1-of-4 with two turnovers before Jamarques Lawrence knocked down a 3-pointer.

It was a defensive bout early, as both teams had just five points at the under-16 timeout.

Sandfort knocked down his first triple in the corner, giving Nebraska a 10-7 lead with 13:54 left in the half. The Husker offense disappeared after that. They didn’t score another field goal for over eight minutes.

At the under-12 timeout, star Hawkeye guard Bennett Stirtz had just two points on 1-of-4 shooting. He turned it on shortly after, finishing the first half with 13 points.

The Hawkeyes rattled off a 6-0 run to take a 17-13 lead. At the under-eight timeout, the Huskers were shooting 36% from the field and had just three total rebounds.

Cale Jacobsen broke a 3:30 scoring drought with two free throws. Braden Frager cashed in Iowa’s ninth turnover to tie the game at 17-17 with 6:26 left in the half. On the ensuing possession, Frager scored a driving layup to give Nebraska the lead back.

Nebraska’s offense finally put together a run as Sam Hoiberg got on the board with a tough finish. However, Iowa responded with an 11-0 barrage thanks to multiple trips to the line and two 3-pointers. The Hawkeyes led 33-23 with 0:58 left in the half, their largest advantage of the night.

Nebraska refused to go away quietly. Hoiberg scored a quick layup, giving the Huskers the final possession before halftime. Jacobsen beat the buzzer, drilling a 3-pointer from way downtown to pull Nebraska within five at the break, 33-28.

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Husker offense falls short

Cooper Koch hit a 3-pointer out of halftime, but Iowa missed its next five field goals during a four-minute scoring drought. Two 1-of-2 trips to the line sparked a 6-0 Husker run, as Mast and Berke Buyuktuncel muscled their way inside.

Iowa was forced to call a timeout with 15:36 left in the half as its lead shrank to 36-34. Isaia Howard hit a 3-pointer out of the break, but the Huskers kept their foot on the gas.

A 7-0 run highlighted by Sandfort’s second triple — which broke Nebraska’s all-time single season 3-pointer record — gave the Huskers their first lead since 5:10 in the first half. Stirtz got to the rim to tie the game 41-41, but Frager answered with an emphatic dunk.

Nebraska didn’t score for over 4:30 as both teams went cold offensively. Iowa made just one of seven field goals over a three minute stretch, dropping its second-half clip to just 22%.

Stirtz took matters into his own hands. The Huskers turned it over three times over a 2:30 period and the Hawkeye guard made them pay. A 5-0 personal run put Iowa up 50-45 at the under-four timeout.

Sandfort got to the line to pull Nebraska within one possession, but Mast was called for an illegal screen and Stirtz was fouled on a 3-point shot at the other end. He knocked down all three free throws.

Lawrence hit a 3-pointer from the corner to pull within three, 53-50, with 27 seconds left, but it was too little, too late. The Hawkeyes knocked off their rivals in Sandfort’s homecoming game, 57-52, and stormed the court.

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