WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored his 47th and 48th goals of the season to propel the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.
Jack Drury scored his career-high ninth goal of the season for the NHL-leading Avalanche, who ended a four-game road trip with a 4-0-0 record. Artturi Lehkonen added an assist in his return after missing 11 games with an upper-body injury.
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Winnipeg Jets' Gabriel Vilardi (13) and Colorado Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon (29) collide during the second period of an NHL hockey game, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)
Colorado Avalanche's Gabriel Landeskog (92) and Ross Colton (20) collide with Winnipeg Jets' Dylan DeMelo (2) during the first period of an NHL game in Winnipeg, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)
Colorado Avalanche's Brett Kulak (27) defends against Winnipeg Jets' Jonathan Toews (19) during second-period NHL hockey game action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)
Colorado Avalanche's Devon Toews (7) defends against Winnipeg Jets' Jonathan Toews (19) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)
Colorado Avalanche's goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (39) saves the shot from Winnipeg Jets' Isak Rosen (27) as Cale Makar (8) defends during the second period of an NHL hockey game, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)
Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 22 shots for Colorado.
Mark Scheifele scored twice and leads the Jets with 34 goals.
Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves.
Scheifele set a career-high in points when his pair of goals gave him 88 points.
Colorado entered the game ranked 27th on the power play, but made good on a big opportunity. Six seconds after a 38-second two-man advantage expired, MacKinnon scored 13 seconds into the third to break the 1-1 tie with the power-play tally. He added his second goal at 3:55.
The Jets challenged MacKinnon’s second goal for goaltender interference, but it stood and gave Colorado a 3-1 lead early in the third.
The Jets begin a four-game road trip with a rematch in Colorado on Saturday.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Winnipeg Jets' Gabriel Vilardi (13) and Colorado Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon (29) collide during the second period of an NHL hockey game, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)
Colorado Avalanche's Gabriel Landeskog (92) and Ross Colton (20) collide with Winnipeg Jets' Dylan DeMelo (2) during the first period of an NHL game in Winnipeg, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)
Colorado Avalanche's Brett Kulak (27) defends against Winnipeg Jets' Jonathan Toews (19) during second-period NHL hockey game action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)
Colorado Avalanche's Devon Toews (7) defends against Winnipeg Jets' Jonathan Toews (19) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)
Colorado Avalanche's goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (39) saves the shot from Winnipeg Jets' Isak Rosen (27) as Cale Makar (8) defends during the second period of an NHL hockey game, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)
HOUSTON (AP) — Alvaro Folgueiras converted a critical three-point play when Nebraska only had four defenders on the floor, and ninth-seeded Iowa continued its unpredictable NCAA Tournament run under first-year coach Ben McCollum, beating Nebraska 77-71 in a South Region semifinal on Thursday night.
Bennett Stirtz scored 20 points and Folgueiras had 16 for the Hawkeyes (24-12), who knocked off top-seeded Florida in the second round on Folgueiras' 3-pointer in the closing seconds.
Iowa will face either Illinois or Houston on Saturday for a spot in the Final Four. McCollum, who won four Division II national titles at Northwest Missouri State, has now led Iowa to its fifth Elite Eight and first since 1987.
Iowa became the lowest-seeded team from the Big Ten to reach a regional final since seeding began in 1979.
“Cinderella, whatever they want to call us, just we’re in the Elite Eight,” McCollum said. “That’s what they need to call us.”
Fourth-seeded Nebraska (28-7) took an early 10-point lead against its conference rival, and Iowa tied it four times but never led until Stirtz buried a 3-pointer to make it 68-65 with 2:10 to go. Sage Tate hit another 3 to cap a 9-0 run and put Iowa ahead 71-65.
The Cornhuskers got within three on a second-chance 3 by Braden Frager, but they were disorganized on the inbound play, leaving Folgueiras unguarded near the rim. He slammed it home — popping up screaming after he finished through contact as Iowa fans roared — and converted the free throw for a six-point lead.
Another dunk by Folgueiras with 34 seconds left made it 76-68.
For Stirtz and McCollum, this March Madness run continues a journey that began at Northwest Missouri State and continued last season at Drake before the pair both moved on to Iowa.
“It’s been a hell of a ride,” McCollum said. “But it’s far from over.”
Stirtz credited McCollum for turning him into a “great person off the court and a great player on the court,” but he had trouble sharing too much more about his coach.
“I don’t want to talk about it that much. I get emotional,” he said. “That’s just another topic for after the season that we can look at. Right now, just focus on the next game.”
Iowa transfer Pryce Sandfort made six 3s and scored 25 points for Nebraska, which won the first two March Madness games in program history to get this far. Frager added 16 points for coach Fred Hoiberg's Cornhuskers, who delighted a traveling contingent of red-clad fans throughout their tournament run.
“These guys will be a part of history of Nebraska basketball forever, for winning the first NCAA tournament game, getting to the Sweet 16, most wins in the history of the program, highest ranking,” Hoiberg said. “They just did so many things to elevate our program. I’m really proud of them.”
Iowa’s second-half rally was fueled by Nebraska’s cold shooting: The Huskers were 9 of 32 (28.1%) after halftime, with most of those attempts coming beyond the arc, where they made just 6 of 24.
“We missed some good looks,” Hoiberg said. “I’ll go back and watch it at some point and see what we could have done better, but (it) seemed like they made all the open shots at the end, we didn’t. Again, that happens in this game. Unfortunately, that was the result tonight.”
The teams split their previous meetings this season, but it will be the Hawkeyes who move on and try to represent the Big Ten in the Final Four — with possibly another conference rival standing in their way.
Hoiberg raved about the job McCollum has done in his first season at Iowa and throughout his career.
“I’ve got so much respect for Ben with how he has run his programs,” Hoiberg said. “And obviously, it doesn’t matter the level, he’s going to continue to be successful wherever he is, and he’s proven that. He’s proven that at the D-II level, he proved it at a mid-major, and now he’s proving it in the Big Ten at a high-major level.”
McCollum had a similar sentiment for Hoiberg and his team.
“They completely turned everything around from the previous season, and they have absolutely nothing to hang their heads about or anything,” McCollum said. “I have the utmost respect for them, all their players, and especially coach Hoiberg.”
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
Iowa head coach Ben McCollum directs his players during the first half against Nebraska in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras (7) dunks over Nebraska forward Berke Buyuktuncel (9) during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Nebraska forward Pryce Sandfort (21), front, reacts after falling during the second half against Nebraska in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Iowa forwards Alvaro Folgueiras, rear, Cam Manyawu (3) and forward Trey Thompson (20) celebrate after defeating Nebraska in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras (7)celebrates after defeating Nebraska in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
