The Sweet 16 game between Nebraska and Iowa came down to the wire, but the Hawkeyes survived with a 77-71 victory.
While the Cornhuskers were the higher seed, Nebraska and Iowa played a fairly even game down the stretch. As a result, every mistake was magnified, especially one costly gaffe Nebraska made in the final minute.
If Nebraska had five players on the court coming out of a timeout, it’s possible the game could have ended differently. Instead, Iowa put an exclamation point on its Sweet 16 win.
Here’s how Nebraska came up one player short in a key moment of the game.
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Nebraska concedes key basket with four players on the floor
Down three points with just under a minute left in the game, Nebraska made a crucial mistake by allowing Iowa big man Alvaro Folgueiras a wide-open basket. The play came out of a timeout, as Jamarques Lawrence passed the ball to Folgueiras behind the defense like it was a football play.
It turned out Nebraska’s mistake was that the team had only four players on the court coming out of the timeout, with the fifth player still waiting to check in.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 27, 2026Who is Nebraska's coach?
Fred Hoiberg has been coaching Nebraska since the 2019–20 season. The former Iowa State head coach also spent time in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls before returning to college.

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