Iowa shocks Nebraska
Iowa upset Nebraska 77–71 in the Sweet 16, flipping a season weakness into a strength by cutting turnovers to just 5 after committing 19 in a previous loss — a taktical masterclass credited to coach Ben McCollum and his continuity-heavy roster. The Sweet 16 runs now with Final Four set for April 4 in Indianapolis and the national title game on April 6. (cbssports.com) (ncaa.com)
The regional semifinal was played March 26, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston as part of the South Regional of the NCAA tournament. (toyotacenter.com) Bennett Stirtz logged 40 minutes for Iowa and led the Hawkeyes with 20 points on 7-for-15 shooting while playing every minute of the game. (sports.yahoo.com) Iowa’s bench flipped the late script: Alvaro Folgueiras scored 16 points and Tate Sage added 19 points and eight rebounds, the two combining for 35 bench points. (sports.yahoo.com) Nebraska countered with Pryce Sandfort’s 25 points, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range, and Braden Frager’s 16 points (5-of-8 from deep), while the Cornhuskers outrebounded Iowa 35-26 and finished the season 28-7 — a school-record win total. (sports.yahoo.com) The run marked program milestones for Nebraska: the Huskers recorded what the school called their first-ever NCAA Tournament win and reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. (huskers.com) Iowa’s comeback sent the Hawkeyes to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987, where they are slated to meet No. 3 Illinois after the Illini knocked off Houston 65-55 in the other South Regional semifinal. (cincinnati.com)
