Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras celebrates after defeating Nebraska in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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 another Big Ten rival, Illinois, 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 foe, 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.