HOUSTON (AP) — On the most critical play of Nebraska's Sweet 16 loss to rival Iowa, the Cornhuskers had only four players on the floor, and coach Fred Hoiberg took the blame.
’Put that one on me,” he said. “It was a miscommunication and I’m the head coach.”
After Nebraska cut Iowa's lead to three with 58.8 seconds left of the teams' NCAA Tournament Midwest Region semifinal, the Hawkeyes' Alvaro Folgueiras was supposed to hang around the midcourt line. As Kael Combs was looking to inbound the ball, Folgueiras started jumping and raced toward the basket.
Nebraska's Rienk Mast wasn't on the floor with the rest of his teammates, and as he tried to sprint from the bench down the sideline to the opposite end of the court, Combs fired a 70-foot pass to Folgueiras — who should have been covered by Mast.
Folgueiras caught the pass, took one dribble and slammed it home. He was fouled on the play and popped up screaming with joy, then converted the free throw for a six-point lead. Iowa went on to win 77-71, securing its first Elite Eight appearance since 1987.
“I saw some movement on the bench,” Folgueiras said. “I just told Kael to get me the ball because I saw that there were only four on the floor. They were trying to figure out who they were guarding.”
Iowa coach Ben McCollum made clear the play didn't result from any brilliant strategy on his part. He was as surprised as anyone.
“I was like, I don’t know why he isn’t being guarded,” McCollum said. “I didn’t know (they only had four players on the floor), and then he dunked it, and then I’m like, ‘What the heck just happened?’”
McCollum said one of his assistants told him Nebraska didn’t have five players on the floor.
Folgueiras, a native of Malaga, Spain, described what happened in soccer terms.
“It was great to have that striker look where you get the ball against nobody,” he said.
The 20-year-old transfer from Robert Morris finished with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting. His 3-pointer with 5:03 tied the game at 65-all, four days after his corner 3 in the closing seconds gave the Hawkeyes a second-round win over top-seeded and defending national champion Florida.
This time, he capitalized on a critical error.
“I was pretty shocked to see Alvaro wide open,” Iowa's Bennett Stirtz said. “I didn’t even know they had four players on until we were in the locker room. Kael threw a great pass.”
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg watches during the first half against Iowa in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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/Ashley Landis)
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)
