IOWA CITY, Iowa — Josh Dix showcased an impressive performance by scoring a personal best of 31 points, including seven shots from beyond the arc, while Payton Sandfort contributed by netting all 30 of his points in the second half. Iowa rallied from a 15-point deficit during the second half to secure a 97-87 overtime victory against Nebraska on Tuesday night.
The duo of Dix and Sandfort excelled from the three-point line, combining to hit 13 of their 20 attempts, and they were also near perfect from the free-throw line, making 12 out of 13. In overtime, Iowa started strong, scoring the first nine points of the extra period and shooting effectively, going 3 of 4 from the field and converting 14 of 16 free throws. In contrast, Nebraska struggled with a 4-of-12 shooting performance in overtime, while Dix added a 3-pointer and totaled nine points in the extra period.
In addition to Dix and Payton Sandfort, Pryce Sandfort contributed 11 points with three 3-pointers for Iowa, which improved to 11-4 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten Conference.
On the other side, Nebraska’s Brice Williams led his team with an impressive 28 points, including four shots from long range, marking the end of their six-game winning streak. Rollie Worster chipped in with 14 points, while Juwan Gary had a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Payton Sandfort was crucial in a late-game surge, scoring 14 points during a 20-7 run that tied the game at 64 with just under five minutes remaining in regulation. After Nebraska briefly took a lead, Payton Sandfort responded with a dunk followed by two consecutive 3-pointers, giving the Hawkeyes a 74-70 edge with only 1:22 left on the clock.
With 1:04 left, Williams hit a pivotal shot from three-point range to narrow the margin to 74-73. On the final possession of regulation, Williams managed to tie the game by hitting a buzzer-beater 3-pointer from midcourt, sending the matchup into overtime at 76.
Nebraska’s largest lead of the game was 52-37, achieved through a dunk from Williams approximately 15 minutes before the end of the game.
