Rienk Mast and Josiah Allick had 14 points apiece to place four Huskers in double figures, but a cold-shooting night from 3-point range proved costly in Nebraska’s 94-76 loss at Iowa Friday evening.
Nebraska (13-4, 3-3 Big Ten) had erased an early 15-point deficit and led 50-49 after a Keisei Tominaga basket with 16:50 remaining, but the Hawkeyes took control from that point. Ben Krikke had 10 of his 12 points in a 18-4 spurt over the next 5:37 as Iowa seized the momentum back for good.
Nebraska shot 47.6 percent from the field but went just 4-of-26 from 3-point range, while Iowa (10-6, 2-3 Big Ten) hit 15 3-pointers, including five each from Payton Sandford and Josh Dix.
Mast and Allick had success inside, as the pair went a combined 11-of-15 from the floor in a losing effort. Mast finished with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and had five rebounds, while Allick tallied a season-high 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting and five caroms.
Tominaga added 13 points, while freshman Eli Rice gave the Huskers a fourth double-figure scorer with 11 points, including nine in the first half after NU rallied back from a 17-2 deficit.
Owen Freeman led six Hawkeyes in double figures with 22 points on 11-of-13 shooting, while Sandfort had 19 point and 10 rebounds. Tony Perkins dished out 15 assists and had 11 points as Iowa shot 52 percent from the field and had 30 assists on 35 field goals in the win.
Nebraska overcame a sluggish start and rallied back to trail 41-36 at the break. The Hawkeyes, who had been off since last Saturday, got out of the gate with an early 15-0 run to build a 17-2 lead in the first five and a half minutes.
Nebraska, which missed seven of its first eight shots from the field, started to rally behind Rice, who gave the Huskers a big lift with nine first-half points. The freshman came off the bench and had seven points in a 12-2 run that pulled NU within 19-14.
The Huskers continued to chip away and got to within 23-21 after a Brice Williams drive. In all, the Huskers shot 50 percent in the first half despite shooting 1-of-10 from 3-point range in the opening 20 minutes. Nebraska was within 33-30 after a Mast basket but could not get closer in the first half. Iowa, which went 7-of-20 from 3-point range and stretched the lead to 41-34 after a Josh Dix 3-pointer before a Williams basket made it a five-point game.
NU got right back into the game as 3-pointers by Tominaga and Mast highlighted an 8-2 spurt to pull even at 44-all at the 18:26 mark. Tominaga had seven points in the first 3:10 of the second half for the Huskers, including a basket that gave the Huskers a 50-49 lead.
Krikke, who had just two first-half points, then took over, hitting two straight jumpers to give Iowa a 54-50 lead and totaling 10 points as the Hawkeyes stretched the margin to 67-54 after a pair of Perkins free throws with 11:13 left.
Nebraska would come right back, using a 6-2 spurt to make it 69-60 after a Gary jumper, but would get no closer. Iowa then used a -12-3 run to stretch the lead to 18 and end NU’s final chance.
The Huskers return to action next Wednesday, as they travel to Rutgers. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (central) and the game will be carried on BTN and the Huskers Radio Network.
Postgame Notes
*-Josiah Allick finished with a season high 14 points including 5-of-6 shooting from the floor. His previous season high was 12 vs. Duquesne on Nov. 22. It was the sixth time he was in double figures.
*-Allick tied for team-high honors in scoring with Rienk Mast. Allick becomes the seventh different Husker to lead the team in scoring this season.
*-Freshman Eli Rice had 11 points off the bench for his third double figure game of the season and his highest point total since Nov. 9 against Florida A&M. It marked the 14th time in 17 games that Nebraska had a double-figure scorer off the bench.
*-Nebraska was held to 4-of-26 shooting from point range on Friday. Nebraska entered the contest leading the Big Ten with 9.6 3-pointers per game and had 10-or-more 3 pointers in each of the last three contests. Its four 3-pointers were its lowest total since Dec. 3.
*-Nebraska committed eight turnovers, the third time in the last four games that NU committed less than 10 turnovers.
*-Sam Hoiberg tied a career high with four assists (also vs. Indiana) and now has a 17-to-4 assist-to-turnover ratio in Big Ten play
*-Iowa shot 52.2 percent from the floor, becoming only the second opponent to shoot 50 percent against Nebraska this season.
*-Iowa’s 15 3-pointers was the most by a Husker opponent this season (14 by Creighton).