Ninth-seeded Iowa continues improbable March run, beating Nebraska 77-71 to reach Elite Eight
NBC Sports • • general
Key Points:
- Iowa, seeded ninth and coached by Ben McCollum in his first year, defeated fourth-seeded Nebraska 77-71 in the South Region semifinal, continuing their surprising NCAA Tournament run.
- Bennett Stirtz led Iowa with 20 points, and Alvaro Folgueiras contributed 16, including a crucial three-point play late in the game that helped secure the victory.
- Iowa will face Big Ten rival Illinois in the Elite Eight, marking Iowa's first regional final appearance since 1987 and making them the lowest-seeded Big Ten team to reach this stage since 1979.
- Nebraska, despite strong performances from Pryce Sandfort (25 points) and Braden Frager (16 points), struggled with second-half shooting, going 9 of 32 and missing key opportunities.
- Both coaches, McCollum and Nebraska's Fred Hoiberg, expressed mutual respect for each other's teams and coaching achievements throughout the season and tournament.
