Houston Cougars forwards Chase McCarty (24) and Joseph Tugler (11) defend a shot by Illinois guard Keaton Wagler (23) during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Houston Cougars forward Joseph Tugler (11) goes hip for a shot over Illinois center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson argues a foul call during the first half of a South Regional semifinal against Illinois in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson calls a play against Illinois during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Houston Cougars cheerleaders cheer during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) takes a shot between Houston Cougars guards Milos Uzan (7) and Emanuel Sharp (21) during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings (4) reaches for a loose ball against Illinois guard Keaton Wagler (23) during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Illinois guard Keaton Wagler (23) hits the floor after colliding with Houston Cougars forward Chase McCarty (24) as he drives past guard Kingston Flemings (4) into the lane during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Illinois guard Keaton Wagler (23) collides with Houston Cougars forward Chase McCarty (24) as he drives past guard Kingston Flemings (4) into the lane during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings (4) goes up for a shot against Illinois guard Keaton Wagler (23) during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings (4) goes up for a shot against Illinois guard Keaton Wagler (23) during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Houston Cougars center Chris Cenac Jr. (5) fights for a loose ball with Illinois center Tomislav Ivisic (13) during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa guard Tate Sage (24) celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer over Nebraska forward Braden Frager (5) during the second half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa guards Kael Combs (11) and Tate Sage (24) celebrate after forcing a Nebraska turnover during the second half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa’s Kael Combs (11), Isaia Howard (23), Trey Thompson (20) and Alvaro Folgueiras celebrate their 77-71 win over Nebraska in a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa forward Cooper Koch celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer against Nebraska during the second half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz (14) and Nebraska forward Rienk Mast (51) fight for a rebound during the second half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa head coach Ben McCollum watches play against Nebraska during the second half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa forward Cooper Koch (8) defends a shot by Nebraska forward Berke Buyuktuncel (9) during the second half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa forward Cooper Koch (8) and Nebraska forward Berke Buyuktuncel (9) go after a rebound during the second half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Nebraska forward Pryce Sandfort (21) drives in for a layup during the second half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz (14) steals the ball from Nebraska forward Pryce Sandfort (21) during the second half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz (14) steals the ball from Nebraska forward Pryce Sandfort (21) during the second half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras (7) reacts after sinking a free throw against Nebraska during the second half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa guard Tate Sage (24) and Nebraska guard Sam Hoiberg fight for a rebound during the second half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Nebraska guard Sam Hoiberg leaps to try to save the ball from going out of bounds during the first half of a South Regional semifinal against Iowa in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg makes a call from the bench against Iowa during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa guard Kael Combs (11) leaps through Nebraska guards Sam Hoiberg (1) and Jamarques Lawrence (10) as he brings the ball into the lane during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Nebraska forward Pryce Sandfort (21) reacts after hitting a 3-pointer abasing Iowa during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Nebraska forward Pryce Sandfort (21) reacts after hitting a 3-pointer abasing Iowa during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz (14) shoots a layup past Nebraska forward Pryce Sandfort (21) during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Nebraska forward Braden Frager (5) defends a pass by Iowa guard Tate Sage (24) during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz (14) shoots over Nebraska forward Rienk Mast (51) during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa head coach Ben McCollum claps as he coaches against Nebraska during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Nebraska forward Braden Frager (5) defends a pass by Iowa guard Tate Sage (24) and is called for a foul during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Nebraska forward Berke Buyuktuncel (9) blocks a shot by Iowa guard Tate Sage (24) during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Nebraska forward Berke Buyuktuncel, left, defends a pass by Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz (14) during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras (7) takes a shot against Nebraska guard Cale Jacobsen (31) during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Iowa forward Cooper Koch (8) takes a shot against Nebraska during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Nebraska forward Braden Frager (5) reacts after hitting a 3-pointer against Iowa during the first half of a South Regional semifinal in NCAA college basketball tournament in Houston, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
The NCAA South Regional tips off at Toyota Center tonight with a pair of Sweet 16 games. Iowa defeated Nebraska 77-71 in the first game, and now UH vs. Illinois is underway to decide the regional’s other Elite Eight berth,.
The winners will meet in the Elite Eight on Saturday (game time to be determined) for a spot in the Final Four.
Follow along with our staff for updates throughout the day and into the wee hours.
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That last layup made by Emanuel Sharp was the first time I’ve seen a UH player drive hard to the basket. There might have been a foul there too, but the layup went in anyway. — Joseph Duarte
Illinois is up 62-53 on UH — Greg Rajan
UH is down 60-53 with Illinois heading to the foul line. — Greg Rajan
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It’s 60-51 Illinois after a Kingston Flemings 3-pointer with 1:44 to go. — Greg Rajan
UH is within 12 at 58-46. — Greg Rajan
UH’s first free throw attempt didn’t come until 3:27 left in the game. — Jonathan M. Alexander
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It’s been a struggle for the entire UH offense. Emanuel Sharp is the only player to score in double figures. He has 10 points on 4-for-11 shooting, including 2-for-7 from the 3-point line. Super freshman Kingston Flemings has been limited to just 7 points on 3-for-9 shooting. — Matt Young
UH got within nine but has given up consecutive 3-pointers and is now down 58-41 with about 3:27 left. — Greg Rajan
It’s Illinois 50, UH 38. Time is running out on the Cougars. — Greg Rajan
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Once down 18, Houston has closed the gap to 11 behind the shooting of Emanuel Sharp. UH is running out of time with 7 ½ minutes left. — Joseph Duarte
A fan points out to a referee that UH doesn’t have a single free throw today. That’s through the first 30 minutes of the game. — Jonathan M. Alexander
With 9:56 to go, it’s 46-31 Illinois. UH had a quick 5-0 run before two Illinois free throws just now. JoJo Tugler picks up his fourth foul and takes a seat on the bench. — Joseph Duarte
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Milos Uzan’s 3-pointer halts a 17-0 run by Illinois. UH is down 44-29 with 10:56 left in the second half. — Greg Rajan
Illinois is on a 17-0 run, pushing its lead to 44-26 with 11:52 left in the second half. This is as bad a shooting performance as I’ve seen from the Cougars since the 2022 Elite Eight against Villanova. Absolutely nothing is falling for the Cougars. Down 18. Season is 11:52 from being over. — Joseph Duarte
It’s not like UH hasn’t gotten good shots. They’ve been open on several attempts, but they just haven’t knocked them down. Meanwhile, Illinois has grabbed the momentum. — Jonathan M. Alexander
UH’s offense has completely disappeared. Trailing 38-26 with 14:30 left, the Cougars are on pace to score just 40 points. Their lowest output of the season came in a 69-56 loss at Kansas in February. This has been much worse offensively. — Matt Young
UH’s hopes of advancing are in peril. The Cougars are down 38-26 to Illinois with 14:50 left in the second half. UH is shooting 28.2% and must wake up offensively, ASAP. — Greg Rajan
Illinois is on a 9-2 run to push the lead to 33-26 over the Cougars just four minutes into the second half. That prompts a UH timeout. — Joseph Duarte
Early in the second half, it’s 29-26 Illinois. The refs are letting these teams play. — Greg Rajan
Kelvin Sampson gave Kingston Flemings an earful after UH turned it over on that second-to-last possession. On the next possession, Flemings hits a 3-pointer at the buzzer before the end of the half to cut Illinois’ lead 24-22. — Jonathan M. Alexander
After shooting just 27.3% in the first half the Cougars amazingly only trail Illinois 24-22 at halftime. Kingston Flemings hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer, just the Cougars’ ninth field goal in the first half. UH ended the half on a 6-0 run as Illinois went scoreless the last 3:23.— Joseph Duarte
Keaton Wagler, Illinois’ freshman point guard projected as a top-10 NBA draft pick, has his first field goal of the game — a 3-pointer with 3:23 left in first half. He was 0-for-5 to start game. — Joseph Duarte
Chase McCarty got the most open look of the game coming out of the timeout and bricked it. He didn’t look confident when he took that shot. Illinois leads 24-16 with 2:36 left in the first half. — Jonathan M. Alexander
Sixty years later, Elvin Hayes, who does UH radio, almost had a steal in the NCAA Tournament on that Illinois throw into the second row of the press seats. Big E wasn’t able to get a handle on the ball, though. — Joseph Duarte
Spotted in the crowd: Astros manager Joe Espada, who is sitting right behind the UH bench. He’s developed a friendship with Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson over the years. Also in the crowd is Baseball Hall of Famer CC Sabathia. His son Carsten plays for UH’s baseball team. He’s sitting a few seats over from Master P, whose son Mercy Miller has seen some early minutes for the Cougars in this first half. — Matt Young
Illinois has taken its biggest lead of the game, 21-14, after a 3-pointer by Andrej Stojakovic. UH calls timeout. — Joseph Duarte
Great defense by both teams, but you’d think the lid was on the basket tonight. — Jonathan M. Alexander
6-of-22. 27.3% shooting. The look on Kelvin Sampson’s face is of disbelief. — Joseph Duarte
Back-to-back shots by Joseph Tugler has pulled Houston even at 14. The Cougars need their big man to get going, especially to counter the Illini’s size. — Joseph Duarte
One of the tallest teams in the nation, Illinois has shown its size advantage at times in the first half, including a power move inside by David Mirkovic. Illinois has a 16-9 edge on the boards. — Joseph Duarte
Houston’s defense has kept it in the game through nine minutes. The offense remains AWOL, though, with a 3-of-14 start. The backcourt has accounted for all eight points but it’s taken 3-for-10 shooting. — Joseph Duarte
It’s still tight, with Illinois leading UH 9-8 in a game low on offense so far. — Greg Rajan
UH has an 8-7 lead with 12:51 left in the first half. — Greg Rajan
It took nearly five minutes and eight shot attempts but the Cougars are finally on the board — a 3-pointer by Emanuel Sharp. — Joseph Duarte
The Cougars are 0-for-7 and 0-for-3 from 3-point range in the first four-plus minutes. — Greg Rajan
With 16:13 left in the first half, it’s still 2-0 Illinois, a score that’s held since the first minute. — Greg Rajan
Rebounding was going to be an area to watch entering the game and so far Illinois has a 5-1 advantage. Two have come on the offensive end. This will be an area to keep an eye on. — Joseph Duarte
Joseph Tugler is playing some tough defense, but he’s come close a few times to picking up his second foul early in this game. — Jonathan M. Alexander
Joseph Tugler picked up his first foul just 59 seconds into the game and got away with another. Coach Kelvin Sampson even knew it, putting his hands in disbelief that the Cougars caught a break. — Joseph Duarte
UH is off to an 0-for-4 start from the floor with three of the shots taken by freshmen Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac Jr. It’s early here. Illinois leads 2-0 with 17:30 left in the first half. — Matt Young
Right on time, the Cougars and Illini have tipped off. Illinois leads 2-0 a minute into the game. — Greg Rajan
It’s been quite the run for the Cougars. A look at the past seven NCAA Tournaments:
2026 — Sweet 16
2025 — Final Four (national championship game)
2024 — Sweet 16
2023 — Sweet 16
2022 — Elite Eight
2021 — Final Four
2020 — Canceled due to COVID pandemic
2019 — Sweet 16
UH is 20-6 in the tournament during this span. — Joseph Duarte
There was an audible roar here at the Toyota Center from UH fans when the video board showed UT losing to Purdue in the game’s final seconds of their Sweet 16 game.
Needless to say, UH fans were ecstatic about the game’s result. — Jonathan M. Alexander
Iowa advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987 with a 77-71 victory against Big Ten rival Nebraska in a South Region Sweet 16 matchup at the Toyota Center on Thursday night.
The No. 9-seed Hawkeyes (24-12) split their regular-season meetings with the No. 4-seed Huskers (28-7) but took the rubber match in the first NCAA Tournament meeting between the programs.
Iowa, led by first-year head coach Ben McCollum, will take on either No. 2-seed Houston (30-6) or No. 3-seed Illinois (26-8) on Saturday with a spot in the Final Four up for grabs. The Hawkeyes have not reached that stage since 1980.
Iowa knocked off 2025 national champion and No. 1 seed Florida in the Round of 32, setting the stage for another shot at Nebraska, which made history in its own right with its first appearance in the Sweet 16.
Despite being a matchup that featured the top two defensive teams in the Big Ten, the game quickly turned into an exhibition in 3-point shooting and offensive efficiency. Iowa shot 51.9% from the floor and connected on 13-of-30 shots from 3-point range to oust Nebraska and end the Huskers’ historic breakthrough season.
Bennett Stirtz gave the Hawkeyes their first lead of the game on a 3 at the 2:10 mark, and Alvaro Folgueiras punctated the victory with a posterizing dunk over a Nebraska defender a short time later. — Jon Poorman
The Hawkeyes hit back-to-back 3-pointers to take their first lead of the game, but Nebraska answered with a 3 of its own. Iowa leads 71-68 with 58.4 seconds remaining. If you’re rooting for lower ticket prices for Saturday’s Elite Eight game, put on your black and gold, because a Nebraska loss here would send a lot of disappointed fans home to the Midwest. — Matt Young
Iowa hasn’t led all game, but they’ve tied things up at 65 with 3:11 remaining. The Hawkeyes had two chances to take the lead but came up empty on both possessions. Nebraska will have the ball after a timeout. — Matt Young
Any loss at this stage of the NCAA Tournament will hurt especially against your rival, but this would be especially painful for Iowa, which trails Nebraska 62-59 with 7:48 remaining. Pryce Sandfordt played two seasons at Iowa where he mostly came off the bench before transferring to Nebraska and becoming the Cornhuskers’ leading scorer. He leads Nebraska at the moment with 19 points and has been absolutely stroking from the 3-point line, knocking down 4-of-5 from behind the arc. — Matt Young
Nebraska leads Iowa 58-55 with 11:30 remaining in the game. Both teams have continued their hot shooting from the first half, combining for 18 total 3-pointers (nine for each). Iowa is shooting 54% from the floor, which is notable because the Huskers have only allowed one team all season to shoot above 50% against them. Nebraska is close behind at 53%. — Jon Poorman
Nebraska went more than three minutes of game action without making a shot until Jamarques Lawrence connected on a 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining in the first half. That drought helped Iowa make a run, and the Hawkeyes are headed to the locker room with some momentum after cutting the lead to three on a 3 from Tate Sage just before the buzzer. — Jon Poorman
Pryce Sandfort has a game-high 11 points and Braden Frager has 10 points. The duo is a combined 5-of-6 from 3-point range. Iowa is led by Tate Sage (11 points) and Bennett Stirtz (10). Iowa shot 60% while Nebraska was 57.7% in the first half. — Joseph Duarte
It’s the Braden Frager Show for Nebraska. The redshirt freshman is 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, allowing the Huskers to maintain a 25-17 lead at the under-12 timeout. — Joseph Duarte
Iowa has made five straight field goals to get within 19-17. But Nebraska answers with a 3-pointer by Braden Frager, his second of the game. Huskers are shooting nearly 60% from 3-point range early in game. — Joseph Duarte
The Huskers’ strong start was propelled by the 3-point shot, which has been a strength of theirs all season. Pryce Sandfort, who used to play for Iowa, knocked down a pair early on to extend his single-season program record to 125. But Nebraska has shown some muscle in the post as well, and forward Rienk Mast leads the team with seven points at the 14:59 mark of the first half. Nebraska holds a 16-6 lead over the Hawkeyes and have outrebounded them 6-0. — Jon Poorman
At the first timeout it’s all Nebraska, 12-2. Lincoln South, uh, Toyota Center has erupted into “Go Big Red!” chants. == Joseph Duarte
Plenty of noise from the Nebraska fans, which made an immense impact during the team’s first two tournament games in Oklahoma City, have made their precense known here in Houston as tip-off nears. Thunderous boos for the Iowa players as they took the court. Singing their fight song loud and proud. One fan sitting in the first row yelled at one of the officials on the court: “They hold Pryce (Sandfort) on all the screens! We can’t have that! I’ll buy the beer tonight!” — Jon Poorman
Nebraska
G Sam Hoiberg
G Jamarques Lawrence
F Rienk Mast
F Berke Büyüktuncel
F Pryce Sandfort
Iowa
G Kael Combs
G Bennett Stirtz
F Cam Manyawu
F Tavion Banks
F Cooper Koch
When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
TV: TBS/truTV with Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Robbie Hummel and Stan Van Gundy (analysts) and Lauren Shehadi (sideline reporter).
Streaming: On the March Madness Live App (must authenticate using TV provider) or on HBO Max (for all TBS, TNT and truTV games, subscription required)
When: 9:05 p.m. Thursday.
TV: TBS/truTV with Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Robbie Hummel and Stan Van Gundy (analysts) and Lauren Shehadi (sideline reporter).
Streaming: On the March Madness Live App (must authenticate using TV provider) or on HBO Max (for all TBS, TNT and truTV games, subscription required)
Radio: 790 AM with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Elvin Hayes (analyst).
• Nebraska ranks No. 15 in the country in scoring defense, holding opponents to 65.8 points per game. Among the Sweet 16 teams, only Houston (62.2), Duke (63.1), UConn (65.1) and Iowa State (65.3) boast a better number in that category. The Huskers actually did a better job defensively in the game they lost against Iowa this season. During that 57-52 road loss in February, Nebraska held Iowa to 33% shooting overall and 26% from 3-point range. During the Huskers’ 84-75 victory over the Hawkeyes on March 9, Iowa shot 48% from the floor and 37% from 3. The Huskers buckled down in overtime of that contest, however, outscoring Iowa 14-5 as the Hawkeyes shot 2-for-7, including four misses from behind the arc.
• Speaking of 3-point shooting, Nebraska has been one of the better long-range teams in the country this season. The Huskers rank 20th in made 3s per game at 10.6 and shoot at a clip of 35.3%. Illinois (11.0) is the only Sweet 16 team ahead of them in that category. Nebraska has made 360 3-pointers this season, setting a new program record. Junior forward Pryce Sandfort, averaging 17.9 points per game, is far and away the team leader from downtown, connecting on 123-of-300 3-point shots. His 123 made 3s are a Nebraska single-season record and currently ranks fifth in the country behind Iowa State’s Milan Momcilovic (134), Texas Tech’s Donovan Atwell (130), Samford’s Jadin Booth (127) and Wichita State’s Kenyon Giles (125).
• Bennett Stirtz led the way for Iowa during its regular-season win over Nebraska. He scored a game-high 25 points, despite shooting just 8-for-22 overall and 2-for-8 from 3-point range. The Hawkeyes leaned on their defense in the victory as they did not make a field goal over the final 4:59 of the game and finished 7-for-28 as a team in the second half. That performance was a far cry from their season average effective shooting percentage of 56.3%, which ranks 22nd in the country. One of the Hawkeyes’ other strengths is keeping their turnovers low. They average just 9.7 per game and have an average margin of +3.3 over their opponents in that category. Nebraska forced them into 12 turnovers in the first meeting and 19 in the second, however. — Jon Poorman