Payton Sandfort scored all 30 of his points after halftime and Iowa erased a 15-point second-half deficit to earn a 97-87 overtime win over visiting Nebraska on Tuesday in Iowa City.
Sandfort didn’t score in the first half but hit 8 of 13 field-goal attempts, including 6 of 10 3-point shots, and 8 of 9 foul shots as the Hawkeyes (11-4, 2-2 Big Ten) scored the first nine points of overtime. His two free throws with 3:04 left capped that 9-0 run.
Iowa’s Josh Dix tallied a game-high 31, plus seven assists and six rebounds and four steals, while Owen Freeman chipped in 15 points before fouling out. Pryce Sandfort came off the bench to net 11 as the Hawkeyes drained 17 of 35 3-pointers and made 14 of 16 foul shots in overtime.
Brice Williams scored 28 points for the Cornhuskers (12-3, 2-2), who saw their six-game winning streak end. Rollie Worster added 14 and Juwan Gary finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Nebraska forced overtime when Williams drilled a 3-pointer as time expired in regulation, evening the score at 76. Iowa had a foul to give but wasn’t able to use it before Williams dribbled to the right wing for an open shot.
The storylines concerned how both teams would bounce back from their last game. While Nebraska dumped then-No. 15 UCLA 68-58 for arguably its best win of the season, Iowa allowed a Big Ten-record 21 3-pointers in a 116-85 defeat at Wisconsin.
The Hawkeyes led by as many as seven on three occasions in the first half, leaning on Dix for most of their offense. He pumped in 16 points and added four assists.
The Cornhuskers took charge late in the half with 14 consecutive points, holding Iowa scoreless for 5:55 and taking a 34-26 lead on Worster’s mid-range jumper.
However, the Hawkeyes took a bit of momentum into the locker room when Pryce Sandfort drilled a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left to pull them within 34-31 at the break.
–Field Level Media
