After a week off, the Nebraska men’s basketball team begins a two-game road trip this Saturday, Feb. 8, as the Huskers travel to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Tipoff from Carver-Hawkeye Arena is slated for shortly after 5 p.m. (central) The game will be broadcast on KBBN 95.3 FM with coverage on the Husker Sports Network beginning at 4 p.m.
Nebraska (7-15, 2-9 Big Ten) continues a stretch against three straight ranked opponents to begin the month of February with Saturday’s matchup against the No. 17 Hawkeyes. The Huskers look to bounce back following a 76-64 loss to No. 24 Penn State on Feb. 1. In that game, the Nittany Lions used a 22-6 second-half spurt to break open a five-point contest. Penn State held Nebraska to 38 percent shooting and put four players in double figures.
For Nebraska, one of the highlights was the play of senior guard Haanif Cheatham, who finished with team highs in both scoring (15) and rebounding (eight) against the Nittany Lions. Cheatham, a fifth-year senior, is making the most of his lone season at Nebraska, averaging 12.4 ppg on 49 percent shooting. In two games last week, he averaged 16.0 points on 57 percent shooting and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Iowa (16-7, 7-5 Big Ten) was unable to slow down Purdue on Wednesday, falling 106-68 in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers used an early 17-0 run to take control and shot 63 percent from the field, including 19-of-34 from 3-point range. Junior forward Luka Garza led Iowa with 26 points, but was the only Hawkeye in double figures.
The Hawkeyes feature one of the nation’s top big men in Garza, who was one of six Big Ten players on the final Wooden Award list this week. He enters Saturday’s game leading the Big Ten in scoring (23.2 ppg) and ranking third in rebounding (10 rpg). In conference play, Garza is averaging 26.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
Nebraska won the first meeting in Lincoln, 76-70, on Jan. 7, and look to beat a Hawkeye team that is 11-1 at home, including 10 straight wins.
