Hawkeyes MBB knocked off their rival in Lincoln to secure their spot in the Big Ten Tournament

It took until the last game of the season, but the Iowa Hawkeyes Men's Basketball team secured their spot in the Big Ten Tournament. In a winner-take-all scenario, Iowa traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska, to take on their hated rival, Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Both teams were fighting for their tournament lives, and Iowa took care of business 81-63. The Hawkeyes take the season series and have won the last three games against the Cornhuskers.

Iowa BADLY needed this win, and their offensive explosion carried them to victory. They got down eight points early in the first half, but their offense woke up. Midway through the first half, the Hawkeyes used an 11-0 run to take the lead.

The Hawkeyes would briefly squander the lead, but Payton and Pryce Sandfort heated up down the stretch to give Iowa a 40-35 halftime lead. Iowa shot the lights out in the second half, as their offense came to life. They would not relinquish the lead the rest of the game.

Iowa shot 54 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range, and they held Nebraska to 35 percent shooting and 22 percent from three.

The Sandfort brothers lead the way, as Payton Sandfort finished with 22 points and eight rebounds and Pryce Sandfort finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds (his first career double-double). Josh Dix added 15 points.

Takeaways from Iowa's big victory

Iowa's "big three" of Payton/Pryce Sandfort and Josh Dix played well at the right time. The trio scored 53 of Iowa's 83 points en route to the victory. They also grabbed 23 of the team's 39 rebounds on the night.

The Hawkeyes were efficient on offense, and their defense finally showed up. In my pregame keys to the game, I noted they needed to score close to 90 points to win. They scored 83 on an efficient shooting night.

Another pregame key to the game was to limit turnovers. The Hawkeyes took care of the ball and only had four turnovers on the night. That is exactly the kind of performance they need to make a run in the Big Ten Tournament.

The final big takeaway is the Hawkeyes' performance on the defensive end. They held Nebraska to under 40 percent shooting from the field (35 percent) and under 30 percent from the three-point line (22 percent). They also caused six turnovers.

What is next for the Hawkeyes

The Hawkeyes will travel to Indianapolis, Indiana, to compete in the 2025 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament. Iowa snuck into the field and will be a 15 seed. Iowa will take on the 10-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes in game two at 5:00 p.m. Central Time.