Iowa finally broke through against a rated foe. Bennett Stirtz scored 25 points as the Hawkeyes ground out a 57-52 win over ninth ranked Nebraska. Defense carried the day as Iowa won despite shooting only 33 percent.

It was Iowa’s biggest win of the year as the Hawkeyes move to 9-6 in the Big Ten.

Both teams struggled from the perimeter. The Hawkeyes were six-of-23 from three point range while the Huskers were just five-of-24.

That’s Iowa coach Ben McCollum. The Hawkeyes outrebounded the Huskers 37-24.

Not only did Stirtz finish with 25 points he guarded Husker leading scorer Pryce Sandfort, who finished with 13.

It was Iowa’s first win over a top ten opponent since 2022. They are now 19-7 overall.