No. 25 Hawkeyes Top Huskers, 88-78

Senior Alonzo Verge Jr. finished with a team-high 18 points to pace four Huskers in double figures, but No. 25 Iowa used an 11-0 second-half run to take control in an 88-78 victory Friday evening at Pinnacle Bank Arena 

Nebraska was within 58-56 after a 3-pointer from C.J. Wilcher with 10:51 left, but Kris Murray keyed an 11-0 run, scoring seven of his 12 points in the spurt as the Hawkeyes stretched the lead to 69-56 with 6:34 remaining.  

Nebraska hung around and pulled to within 81-74 after a Verge layup with 31 seconds left, but Iowa went 6-of-7 from the line to earn its third straight win.  

Tony Perkins led six Hawkeyes in double figures with a career-high 20 points, while Nebraska limited Keegan Murray to just 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 1-of-6 shooting in the first half.  

In addition to Verge, who had seven assists, five rebounds and matched his career high with four steals, Wilcher came off the bench and had 14 points, while Bryce McGowens (13) and Derrick Walker (10) also finished in double figures for Nebraska (7-21, 1-16 Big Ten).  

For McGowens, it marked his 10th straight double-figure game, setting a school freshman mark in the process.  

Nebraska, which shot 52 percent from the floor, led a good portion of the first half and built a 28-21 lead after Kobe Webster’s 3-pointer with 6:47 left in the half. The Huskers led 30-24, but the Hawkeyes closed the half on a 12-5 spurt to take a one-point lead as Filip Rebraca’s basket beat the first half buzzer.  

Neither team could take control during the first part of the second half, as Iowa eventually built a 58-51 lead, but a jumper by Verge and Wilcher’s 3-pointer quickly got NU within six before the Hawkeyes’ decisive run.  

Nebraska hits the road to take on Penn State this Sunday, Feb. 27. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (central) and will be televised on the Big Ten Network, with radio coverage provided by the Huskers Radio Network.