Iowa City is still buzzing from a late-night victory over Nebraska at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
It has been years since Carver-Hawkeye Arena was filled to the brim for a men's basketball game, and even longer since the fans got to storm the court after a signature win.
While it wasn't pretty on offense, Iowa used its defensive intensity and rebounding to overwhelm the Cornhuskers, and accomplish something the program hasn't done in seven years.
With the win over No. 9 Nebraska, it was Iowa's first win over a top-ten team since beating No. 5 Michigan in 2019.
After the win, star guard Bennett Stirtz acknowledged that they all knew how important that win was to the fans.
Stirtz stated the Iowa fans needed and deserved that win
Stirtz has been on another level over the last month of play, averaging just under 27 points per game, and he knows how important winning is to the Iowa fans.
Bennett Stirtz after Iowa's first home win over a top-10 team since Feb. 1, 2019, vs. #5 Michigan: “They (Iowa fans) really needed this, and they deserved it. They've been through this with us through the whole season, so we wanted to win it for them.”
— Chad Leistikow🆑 (@ChadLeistikow) February 18, 2026
According to the Des Moines Register's Chad Leistikow, during his postgame comments, Stirtz said that Iowa fans "really needed this, and they deserved it."
He was also appreciative that the Iowa fans have been with them all season, and they all wanted to win it for them.
It has been a direct mission of Ben McCollum and the program to engage the community and fans, and it is starting to pay off.
McCollum has often said they cannot do it alone and need the fans to support them throughout the entire "rebuilding" process.
That was clear during Tuesday's game during the court storm when hundreds of fans packed the floor at Carver-Hawkeye Arena after beating a highly-ranked team.
In one year under McCollum, excitement for the program is back, and everyone is showing their support again.