A stunning mistake out of a timeout doomed Nebraska, as Iowa capitalized with a late surge to punch its ticket to the Elite Eight.
PublishedMarch 26, 2026 10:40 PM EDT•UpdatedMarch 26, 2026 10:40 PM EDT
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For the first time in 39 years, Iowa is heading to the Elite Eight, thanks in part to a disastrous blunder by Nebraska in the final minute of play.
The Big Ten showdown in Houston was one to remember, as the sweet sixteen got underway Thursday night with a bang. Unfortunately for Nebraska fans, they will be rehashing this loss for quite some time, with a massive mistake coming out of a timeout helping the Hawkeyes clinch the win.
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The score was 71-68, and the Hawkeyes were inbounding the ball with :58 remaining in the game. It was the hero from the win over Florida that came up clutch again, as Alvaro Folgueiras ran deep into Nebraska territory for the layup that also garnered a foul.
From down three, to trailing by six after Folgueiras hit the free throw, Iowa went on a 14-3 run to clinch a spot in the next round. The stunning moment left announcers questioning how this could have happened, especially coming out of a timeout.
On the replay, it’s clear that Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg noticed the blunder and was trying at the last second to get one of his players into the game. But, as you can tell, the Iowa pass to Alvaro Folgueiras was already in transit and the Cornhuskers chances of winning the game officially slipped away.
This was an incredible way to start the Sweet Sixteen, with the Hawkeyes now headed to the Elite Eight. There was even chaos to end the Purdue versus Texas game, which ended with the Boilermakers punching their ticket to the Elite Eight as well.
What a night in college basketball, with more to come on Friday. Continue following OutKick for the latest, as we will have you covered from Chicago and Washington, DC, this weekend.
