Bennett Stirtz scored a game-high 25 points, but it was Iowa's defense that carried it to victory.
After a disappointing blowout loss to Purdue on Saturday, Iowa basketball made sure to not squander its next opportunity to beat a ranked team at home.
The Hawkeyes didn't have to wait long for that next chance, and though it took all 40 minutes, Iowa found a way to upset No. 9 Nebraska, 57-52, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Tuesday.
It marked Iowa's first win over a top-10 opponent since 2019, first triumph over a ranked team this season, and most importantly, a major boost for its NCAA tournament resume.
"Every single time we have something positive like this happen, we always make sure that everybody knows this is what it [the atmosphere in Carver-Hawkeye Arena] can be," head coach Ben McCollum said after the win. "It can be this every night, and it can be fun like this."
Here are three takeaways from the Hawkeyes' wild win:
Stirtz puts the Hawks on his back
Some of the people in attendance on Tuesday weren't alive to see Michael Jordan terrorize the NBA during his time with the Chicago Bulls, but those that were probably thought history was repeating itself on this night.
Jordan willed those great Bulls teams to six championships in the 1990s, and though Iowa likely won't win an NCAA title this season, its always going to be in a game with Bennett Stirtz on the roster.
Stirtz has put this team on his back for the last two weeks, and the Hawkeyes needed him to do so again on Tuesday. Only one other Hawkeye (Cooper Koch) reached double-figures on this night, but Stirtz delivered when called upon.
Stirtz wasn't at his best on this night (he went just 8/22 from the floor), but there many key plays down the stretch that propelled Iowa to victory. It felt like the score was tied at 45 forever, but the senior broke the seal with with a tough transition layup. Stirtz then fired right back with a step-back triple to give the Hawks a five-point lead, and finished it off by drawing a moving screen with 1:02 left.
Stirtz ended up with 25 points, two rebounds, and two assists.
"This means a lot to our fans, and they really needed this, and they deserved it. They've been through it with us the whole season. So we wanted to win it for them," Stirtz said after the game.
Defense shines
Iowa's usually-stout defense has had a rough few weeks, but it responded in a big way against Nebraska. Former Hawkeye and current Husker sharpshooter Pryce Sandfort came as one of the nation's best three-point shooters, but he had a difficult time getting open looks against the Hawkeyes.
Defending Sandfort's intense cutting isn't easy, but Stirtz and Co. were up to the challenge. Sandfort did knock in a couple of contested jumpers, but he was blanketed all night long, scoring 13 points on just 2/6 shooting from distance.
"It's a lot of guarding, and he's moving around a lot, but kind of embraced it, and he's a great shooter, and just a lot of gravity towards him, so we knew if we locked him up, we had a good chance to win," Stirtz said.
Abysmal offense
Iowa beating a top-10 team is an impressive feat in itself, but beating a 22-4 Nebraska team while shooting just 33% from the floor (6/23 from three) is remarkable. The Huskers did a good job defensively, but most of these struggles were attributed to unselfish play.
Playing unselfish basketball isn't a bad thing, but the Hawkeyes passed up too many open shots in this one. Isaia Howard, Alvaro Folguieras, and Tavion Banks are all capable three-point shooters, but each of them didn't take several open looks when they had the chance, instead settling for contested looks at the rim.
Iowa got away with it on Tuesday, but other scorers need to step up if the Hawkeyes want to solidify their place in the NCAA tournament.
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