The Nebraska Cornhuskers suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Sweet 16 on Thursday, and one particular moment is bound to haunt them for a long time.
FOLGUEIRAS CATCHES THEM OFF GUARD 😳
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Nebraska only had 4 defenders on the floor. pic.twitter.com/6ayu6HjMiB
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 27, 2026
Down by three with less than a minute to play, the Cornhuskers made a crucial mistake, only sending four defenders onto the floor for an full-court inbound play.
As a result, Kael Combs launched it cross-court to a wide open Alvaro Folgueiras, who went up for a dunk and got a tough finish to fall through a hard foul.
Nebraska’s Berke Buyuktuncel tried to recover for the block, but sent Folgueiras to the line for an extra point instead.
The game-changing mistake destroyed any momentum for Nebraska to make a comeback and Iowa secured the 77-71 victory.
While the Sweet 16 matchup between Purdue and Texas ended with fireworks, Nebraska’s game against Iowa ended with confusion.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
