Hawkeyes Come Back on Huskers

By John Bohnenkamp 

There was time, and yet it felt like there wasn’t.

Which is why Iowa guard Payton Sandfort gathered his teammates, down 15 points to Nebraska, and gave a simple message.

“Let’s change the season right now,” Sandfort said.

And so the Hawkeyes did. They rallied to lead in the final seconds before the Huskers tied the game, then dominated the overtime to win 97-87 on Tuesday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“Everybody had to contribute,” said Sandfort, who scored all 30 of his points in the second half and in overtime. “We stayed together.”

Josh Dix, who played all but 22 seconds of the game, led the Hawkeyes with 31 points. He and Sandfort became the first Iowa players to score 30 or more points in the same game since Keegan Murray and Jordan Bohannon did it in 2022.

Iowa (11-4 overall, 2-2 Big Ten), still smarting from last Friday’s 116-85 debacle at Wisconsin, was down 52-37 with 14:53 left in the second half when coach Fran McCaffery called a timeout. The Hawkeyes had stumbled throughout the game to that point, but McCaffery wanted them to know the clock was really their friend.

“There was no need to panic,” McCaffery said. “We’ve got a group with great character.”

“It felt like everybody thought the world was ending, when we lost to Wisconsin,” Sandfort said. “But everyone in that locker room, as a team, we stayed connected, and that's why I'm so proud of everybody. You look at the outside world, I think everyone pretty much gave up on us.”

What the Hawkeyes did after that point was play, as Sandfort said, “gritty.”

The Hawkeyes scored five points in the first two minutes after the timeout, the beginning of cuts after cuts into the Nebraska lead. And when Sandfort hit a 3-pointer with 2:59 to play, Iowa led 69-68.

Sandfort, who was just 0 of 2 from the field in the first half while picking up two fouls, was 8 of 13 in the second half and overtime, including 6 of 9 in 3-pointers.

“I think it was just getting back to being myself,” he said. “At halftime, I was pretty upset. I went in and acted like I was going to the bathroom. I just went back and read some Bible verses, read some notes to myself, and, you know, once I saw one (shot) go in, just felt like myself again.”

The lead got to 74-70 with 1:20 to play on another Sandfort three, and seemed to have control of the game when Brock Harding made two free throws with five seconds left for a 76-73 lead.

Nebraska, though, tied the game on Brice WIlliams’ 3-pointer at the buzzer, as first Harding and then Dix tried to foul Williams, but failed.

“After regulation, I was a little mad,” Dix said. “I thought I fouled, but it's good. Glad we got it done in overtime.”

The Hawkeyes absolutely got it done in overtime. They scored the first nine points in the opening two minutes, and outscored the Huskers (12-3, 2-2) 21-11 in overtime.

Owen Freeman, who played 38 ½ minutes before fouling out, had 15 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. Pryce Sandfort had 11 points, four steals and three assists.

Dix called it “a collective effort,” and Sandfort agreed.

“Everybody had to contribute, but we stayed together,” Sandfort said. “And, you know, that's the mantra. Bad teams fall apart when things go bad. And I just tell everybody, if we stay together as a team, and block out what everybody's saying, just be in the room. Be present, Be where your feet are, then it always turns out all right.”

Dix carried the Hawkeyes early. They were down 34-31 at halftime, but Dix had 16 points and four assists in the half.

His time off the court was almost nonexistent.

“Yeah, I'm gonna need an ice bath,” Dix said.

Asked how he felt, Dix smiled. “I mean, good that we won. My body hurts a little bit, but I'm good.”

So were the Hawkeyes.