For most of the season, the talk was whether Nebraska men’s basketball would make the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year. But as the regular season ended with a fifth straight loss, 83-68, the reality set in. Not only would there be no NCAA Tournament, there would be no Big Ten Tournament, with the Hawkeyes (16-15, 7-13 B1G) knocking the Huskers (17-14, 7-13 B1G) out of the 15-team event.
So ends a collapse of a highly promising season, one which had Nebraska projected into the NCAA Tournament for most of the regular season. But losses in six of the last seven games and 11 of the last 16 games thwarted those high hopes.
Unlike so many of those prior defeats, the game started promisingly for Nebraska. The Huskers led 10-4 early and 18-10 eight minutes into the game. Nebraska drained three of its first four three-point attempts. But the Huskers went cold from behind the arc and Iowa surged. NU missed its next 10 pointers and the Hawkeyes went on a 11-0 run over the ensuing two minutes, taking a 21-18 lead midway through the first half. Iowa led most of the rest of the first half and took a 40-35 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Huskers cut the lead to two with 16 minutes to go in the second half, only to see the Hawkeyes go on a 10-2 run to build a 57-47 lead with 13 minutes to go and re-establish momentum in the game. Nebraska was never closer than seven points to Iowa for the remainder of the game.
Juwan Gary led the Cornhuskers with 24 points in his final regular season game at Pinnacle Bank Arena. He shot 7-for-15 from the field and 8-for-9 from the free-throw line. Sam Hobert was the only other Nebraska player in double figures with 12 points. Playing in his final regular season home game, Brice Williams scored just seven points on 3-for-12 shooting.
Payton Sandfort led Iowa with 22 points on 9-for-18 shooting. He also grabbed eight rebounds. Price Sandfort added 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Josh Dix tallied 15 points on 7-for-15 shooting and Brock Harding added 12.
The loss ends Nebraska’s NCAA Tournament hopes, but not necessarily its season. The Huskers could be selected to either the NIT or the Crown Tournament next Sunday when those fields are announced after the NCAA Tournament Selection Show.