Nebraska’s men’s college basketball season ended with a 77-71 defeat against Big Ten rival Iowa in the Sweet Sixteen on Thursday night at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. It was another unexpected victory for the No. 9 seed Hawkeyes, who continued their knack for surprising teams to reach the Elite Eight and will face No. 3 seed Illinois on Saturday for a shot at the Final Four.
How a Disastrous Endgame Blunder Cost Nebraska Against Iowa
One of the plays that cost the season for the Fred Hoiberg-coached Cornhuskers was a crucial mistake with 58 seconds remaining. Nebraska’s Rienk Mast was late getting onto the floor, allowing Alvaro Folgueiras to be wide open on the opposite court.
Iowa’s Kael Combs took advantage of the defensive mistake and passed the ball to Folgueiras, who dunked it and was fouled.
The Spaniard made the free throw, increasing the Hawkeyes’ lead to six.
The four-on-the-floor mistake was disastrous for the Cornhuskers’ attempt to reach the Elite Eight, as it turned a one-possession game into a two-possession lead after Folgueiras made the dunk and the subsequent free throw.
Nebraska’s last-minute mistake turned out to be the most crucial moment of the game, allowing Iowa’s Cinderella story to keep going and leaving Cornhuskers head coach Fred Hoiberg with the shame of a season-ending coaching error in the final seconds.
Hoiberg took responsibility for the perceived miscommunication on the floor but mentioned it was the first time he had experienced such a situation. He also believed that referees always count the number of players on the court for every possession.
“Put that one on me,” the Nebraska head coach said. “It was a miscommunication, and I’m the head coach.”
ESPN’s Myron Medcalf called the Cornhuskers’ mistake an “all-time blunder” that completely wrecked their 2025-26 season.
“What an all-time blunder. Nebraska had four players on the court. Iowa throws the deep ball, and Folgueiras gets the three-point play to extend the lead to six,” Medcalf wrote on social media.
On3 reporter Anthony Broome replied to Medcalf’s tweet, emphasizing the title Hoiberg secured this season.
“Fred Hoiberg — Big Ten Coach of the Year (Coaches vote),” Broome, who covers the Michigan Wolverines beat on the sports website, said.
Bleacher Report Breaking News Team writer Scott Polacek took a trip down memory lane with that mistake, reminding everyone how poor Hoiberg was as a coach with the NBA’s Chicago Bulls.
“Fred Hoiberg reverted back to Bulls mode at the worst possible time,” Polacek said.
Chris Vannini of The Athletic indirectly criticized Hoiberg in his tweet, describing the gaffe as something Iowa’s Twitter page will never mention again.
But beyond the critical play that broke Nebraska’s backs and allowed Iowa’s giant-killing ways to continue in the Elite Eight, it was Robert Morris transfer Folgueiras who delivered in the crucial seconds for the second straight game.
The Malaga, Spain, native scored 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field. His 3-pointer tied the game at 65-65, and his 3-point play secured Ben McCollum’s team a spot in the Elite Eight. Four days earlier, his corner 3-pointer derailed defending champion Florida’s attempt at back-to-back titles.
“It was great to have that striker look where you get the ball against nobody,” he said.
Drake transfer Bennett Stirtz scored 20 points to lead the Hawkeyes’ offense, making them the lowest-seeded team from the Big Ten to reach a regional final since seeding began in 1979.
Iowa transfer Pryce Sandfort scored 25 points for Nebraska, making six 3-pointers, while Braden Frager added 16 points, including the 3-pointer that cut the lead to 3, 71-68. After starting the 2025-26 season with 20 straight wins, the Cornhuskers finished their campaign at 8-7, ending with a 28-7 record.
