Iowa continues improbable March run, beating Nebraska to reach Sweet 16

HOUSTON (AP) - Alvaro Folgueiras converted a critical three-point play when Nebraska only had four defenders on the floor, and ninth-seeded Iowa continued its unpredictable NCAA Tournament run under first-year coach Ben McCollum, beating Nebraska 77-71 in a South Region semifinal on Thursday night.

Bennett Stirtz scored 20 points and Folgueiras had 16 for the Hawkeyes (24-12), who knocked off top-seeded Florida in the second round on Folgueiras' 3-pointer in the closing seconds.

Iowa will face either Illinois or Houston on Saturday for a spot in the Final Four. McCollum, who won four Division II national titles at Northwest Missouri State, has now led Iowa to its fifth Elite Eight and first since 1987.

Fourth-seeded Nebraska (28-7) took an early 10-point lead against its Big Ten rival, and Iowa tied it four times but never led until Stirtz buried a 3-pointer to make it 68-65 with 2:10 to go. Sage Tate hit another 3 to cap a 9-0 run and put Iowa ahead 71-65.

The Cornhuskers got within three on a second-chance 3 by Braden Frager, but they were disorganized on the inbound play, leaving Folgueiras unguarded near the rim. He slammed it home - popping up screaming after he finished through contact as Iowa fans roared - and converted the free throw for a six-point lead.

Another dunk by Folgueiras with 34 seconds left made it 76-68.

Iowa transfer Pryce Sandfort made six 3s and scored 25 points for Nebraska, which won the first two March Madness games in program history to get this far. Frager added 16 points for coach Fred Hoiberg's Cornhuskers, who delighted a traveling contingent of red-clad fans throughout their tournament run.

NO. 2 PURDUE 79, NO. 11 TEXAS 77

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Trey Kaufman-Renn tipped in a miss by Braden Smith with 0.7 seconds left, and Purdue edged hobbling Texas star Tramon Mark and the Longhorns in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Texas (21-15) tied it moments earlier when Dailyn Swain made a driving layup, was fouled and converted the three-point play with 11.9 seconds to go. Smith had scored on his own drive with 38 seconds remaining and finished with 16 points.

Kaufman-Renn hit his first seven shots - going 6 for 6 and grabbing five rebounds in the first half - on the way to 20 points. He was mobbed by teammates right after the final buzzer sounded at SAP Center.

Mark scored 29 for the Longhorns, grimacing and clearly in pain limping on his injured left foot through the closing minutes when the sixth-year senior's team needed him most. His points were the most by a Texas player in an NCAA Tournament game since Kevin Durant scored 30 against Southern California in the second round of the 2007 tournament.

Purdue (30-8) advances to Saturday's Elite Eight game against either top-seeded Arizona (34-2) or No. 4 seed Arkansas (28-8), who were playing the late game at SAP Center.

Texas coach Sean Miller made his ninth Sweet 16 appearance in 21 seasons, the most of any coach who hasn't reached the Final Four.