Iowa roars back
Iowa erased Nebraska with a 14–3 finishing run powered by bench scoring — Tate Sage had 19 points and Folgueiras added 16 — and Ben Sandfort buried a go‑ahead three with 3.1 seconds left. The comeback highlighted Iowa’s depth and late‑game execution heading into the Elite Eight. (youtube.com) (nytimes.com)
Iowa downed Nebraska 77-71 on March 26, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987. (hawkeyesports.com) Alvaro Folgueiras scored 16 points and freshman Tate Sage added 19 off the bench, the two reserves combining for 35 points in the win. (sports.yahoo.com) Point guard Bennett Stirtz played all 40 minutes and led Iowa with 20 points, while Nebraska’s Pryce Sandfort finished as the game’s top scorer with 25 on 8-of-13 shooting. (espn.com) Iowa didn’t take its first lead until Stirtz’s 3-pointer with 2:10 remaining, and the Hawkeyes led for only 2:08 of the game clock despite advancing. (dailyiowan.com) Nebraska made 13 three-pointers in the game and closed the season with a school-record 373 made threes. (huskers.com) The Hawkeyes will face No. 3 Illinois in the South Region final (Elite Eight) on Saturday, March 28 at 6:09 p.m. ET at the Toyota Center, a game scheduled for TBS/truTV. (sports.yahoo.com)
