Despite a somewhat disappointing 2024-25 season for Iowa basketball (16-15, 7-13 Big Ten), the Hawkeyes clinched themselves a spot in the 2025 Big Ten Tournament on Sunday afternoon with an 83-68 win-or-go-home regular-season finale victory at Nebraska from a raucous Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb.
Offensively, Iowa shot 31-for-63 from the floor, including an impressive 11-for-28 from beyond the arc and 10-for-17 from the charity stripe. Defensively, the Hawkeyes forced six Cornhusker turnovers and scored seven points off those thefts. Iowa came away with three steals and two blocks.
While Nebraska got out to a quick start in the first half, Iowa’s offense responded with force as they entered the break with a 40-35 advantage. In the second half, Iowa held off occasional rallies by Nebraska to keep the Cornhuskers at arm’s length until the final buzzer.
As Iowa moves on to the 2025 Big Ten Tournament, here are the three stars that powered the Hawkeyes to a season-saving victory over Nebraska.
Payton Sandfort
While Payton Sandfort has struggled to score in the previous two games, the senior forward showed out on Sunday with a team-leading 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field, 2-for-9 from 3-point range, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line in 35 minutes of action. Sandfort also registered eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block against Nebraska.
In his final regular-season game as a Hawkeye, Sandfort pulled out all the stops to keep his senior campaign alive with a Big Ten Tournament invite.
Pryce Sandfort
In a game where the Hawkeyes needed contributions from every player who stepped on the court, Pryce Sandfort scored 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, 4-of-6 from deep, and 2-for-4 from the charity stripe. The sophomore forward also recorded a team-leading 11 rebounds and three assists in his 30 minutes off the bench. In doing so, Sandfort registered the first double-double of his career.
While Sandfort was hot from beyond the arc, he made his presence known on the defensive side by collecting 10 defensive rebounds that prevented Nebraska from securing second-chance opportunities and ultimately keeping the Cornhuskers off the scoreboard.
Ladji Dembele
While the third star could have gone to Josh Dix, who scored 16 points, or Brock Harding, who contributed 12 points off the bench, Dembele’s rugged performance near the end of the game on Sunday earns him the honor.
The sophomore forward would score six points on 1-for-3 shooting from the field and 4-for-7 from the free-throw line, with four rebounds, one steal, and one block in his 22 minutes of game action.
Specifically, in the final few minutes of the second half, Dembele established a bold defensive presence by securing rebounds, drawing fouls, and sinking valuable free throws, which was crucial in thwarting a late Nebraska run.
While he has struggled on the offensive side of the ball this season, seeing a clutch defensive performance when it mattered most for Iowa is worthy of much-deserved praise.
Due to an overtime victory by Rutgers over Minnesota, Iowa’s Sunday evening triumph will only land the Hawkeyes the 15th-seed in the 2025 Big Ten Tournament, where they will play in a first-round matchup vs. 10th-seeded Ohio State (17-14, 9-11) on Wednesday from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.
The clash with the Buckeyes will stream on Peacock (Subscription Required), with a tipoff scheduled for approximately 5 p.m. CT. Iowa fans can also tune into Iowa play-by-play voice Gary Dolphin and color analyst Bobby Hansen call the game on the Hawkeye Radio Network.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Three Iowa basketball stars from win vs Nebraska
