Huskers Push No. 3 Iowa to OT in Big Ten Title Game

Photo Credit: Nebraska Athletics

Minneapolis - Nebraska took No. 3 Iowa to the brink, forcing overtime against the defending champion Hawkeyes before falling 94-89 in the extra period in front of 18,534 fans and a CBS national television audience at the Target Center on Sunday.

Junior first-team All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski tied the Nebraska school record with her 40th career double-double by leading the Huskers (22-11) with 23 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals. The Hawkeyes could only slow Markowski, who joined her Husker teammates in sending a strong message about the rise of the Nebraska program throughout the successful week in Minneapolis.

With Iowa focused on stopping Markowski, Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year Natalie Potts added a huge game of her own with 21 points and nine boards to help keep Nebraska in control for most of the game.

All-Big Ten guard Jaz Shelley added the 13th double-double of her career with 16 points and a career-high 13 assists to go along with six rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots. Her free throws with 2:38 left in regulation put Nebraska in front 75-67 after the two teams went to the fourth quarter tied at 58. 

However, behind All-America Caitlin Clark Iowa rallied to tie the score at 77 heading to overtime. Clark's leaner with 29.3 seconds left tied the game, and the Hawkeye defense held for the final possession to force OT.

Clark finished with 34 points and 12 assists for Iowa, while Hannah Stuelke contributed 25 points and nine boards. Sydney Affolter added a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Kate Martin added 13 points, including a key three-pointer with just over a minute left in regulation, and two more threes and a free throw in overtime to put Iowa in the driver's seat for the first time in the game.

While Iowa solved the puzzle to win in overtime, the Huskers came up with some big answers as well. Trailing 82-81, freshman Logan Nissley drained a pair of threes to give the Big Red an 87-86 advantage with one minute left. But Clark countered with five straight points to give Iowa its a 91-87 lead with 37 seconds left. Nissley finished with 13 points and five assists, while draining four threes.

Nebraska got a layup from Markowski with 21.5 seconds left to trim the margin to 91-89, but the Huskers could get no closer.

The Huskers were playing their fourth game in four days after entering the tournament as the No. 5 seed with an 11-7 Big Ten regular-season mark that included an 82-79 win over then-No. 2 Iowa (Feb. 11). They hit 41.6 percent (32-77) for the game, including 14-of-34 threes (.412). NU also sank 11-of-14 free throws, while winning the turnover battle 15-14.

Iowa hit 44.6 percent (33-74) of its shots, including 13-of-33 threes (.394), while connecting on 15-of-19 free throws (.789). The Hawkeyes, who won their third game of the weekend, won the battle of the boards late, 48-43.  

The Huskers got big contributions up and down the roster in an outstanding first half, taking a 46-35 lead to the locker room. Potts scored 10 of her first-half points in the second quarter, while adding seven first-half rebounds. Potts scored six straight points as part of a 9-0 run that started with a Callin Hake three. The run gave Nebraska its biggest lead of the half at 43-30 with 1:27 left.

Shelley added 10 first-half points, including a buzzer-beating three from the left wing to end the half that sent the Huskers to halftime with a double-digit edge. Shelley, who hit a pair of first-half threes, also had four rebounds and three assists in the first 20 minutes.

Markowski added eight points and eight boards in the half, including a four-point play early in the first quarter that started with her made free throw before Shelley got a rebound and an assist on a Markowski three after she missed the second free throw. That four-point play started a 12-0 run that included back-to-back threes by Minnesotans Annika Stewart and Kendall Coley that gave the Huskers their first double-digit lead at 16-5 with 4:22 left in the first period.

Nebraska hit 17-of-37 (.459) first-half shots, including 7-of-16 threes (.438), while going 5-of-6 at the free throw line. The Huskers won the rebounding battle, 26-20.

Hannah Stuelke led Iowa with 11 first-half points, while Affolter added nine points and six boards, but Clark had just four points on 2-of-13 shooting, including 0-for-9 from beyond the arc.

The Hawkeyes were just 13-of-38 (.342) from the floor and 4-for-16 from three, while going 5-for-5 at the line. 

Iowa controlled the third quarter, eliminating Nebraska's halftime edge to take a pair of one-point leads late in the period before the game went to the fourth quarter tied at 58.