Hawkeyes’ Smothering Defense Too Much for Nebraska

Carver Hawkeye-Arena in Iowa City got loud on Tuesday night. A heated border rivalry game featured a little extra juice with the return of former Iowa player Pryce Sandfort and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Hawkeyes were in search of a signature Big Ten win with eyes on a return to the NCAA Tournament.

Hawkeyes Shut Down Nebraska

It was not a pretty game offensively for either team. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that Iowa shot just 33% from the field, a stat that normally leads to a loss. Instead, it was Iowa's defense that completely confused Nebraska all night, as the Hawkeyes held on for a 57-52 over the 9th-ranked Cornhuskers. The Gazette reports that it is the first ranked win of the year for Ben McCollum's Hawkeyes.

The Prodigal Son Returns

Pryce Sandfort left the Iowa program like so many others did after the Hawkeyes fired head coach Fran McCaffery. That's just modern-day college basketball. But Sandfort had to come back to Carver, and the fans let him know it every time he touched the ball. Sandfort finished the game with 13 points and was hounded all night on defense by Iowa's Bennet Stirtz. The Hawkeye star led Iowa with 25 points, according to the Gazette.

Iowa Building a March Madness Resume

Iowa got a win against a Quad 1 opponent on Tuesday night. They'll get a shot at another one on Sunday afternoon as the Hawkeyes travel to Madison to play the Wisconsin Badgers, according to the Gazette. They'll also see the Cornhuskers again on March 8th to close out the Big Ten regular season.