Nebraska Loses March Madness Game After Giving Up a Shot With Just 4 Players on the Floor

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The University of Nebraska men’s basketball team was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament on Thursday thanks to a monumental late-game blunder.

In the second half of Thursday’s game against ninth-seeded Iowa, the fourth-seeded Cornhuskers trailed 71-68 with less than a minute left. While passing the ball in, Iowa guard Kael Combs found forward Alvaro Folgueiras all alone on the other side of the court. Folgueiras dunked the ball in, and a desperation foul by a Nebraska defender set him up for a potential three-point play.

Replays of the action revealed that Nebraska only had four defenders on the floor. A fifth player was seen running off the bench as he quickly realized Iowa had the advantage.

Nebraska went on to lose by a final score of 77-71.

After game, Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg took full responsibility for the crucial error.

“Put that one on me,” Hoiberg said. “It was a miscommunication and, you know, I’m the head coach. Put that one on me.”

In a follow-up question, a reporter asked Hoiberg if there was a rule ensuring that referees don’t resume play until all players are on the floor. If that were the case, Hoiberg said, he didn’t know about it.

“I’ve never been in a situation like that,” the coach continued. “I know they always count to make sure there’s not six. I don’t know the rule on that with, with four, but yeah, I mean– again, it was a miscommunication and, you know, unfortunately, it happened. But that, you know, as far as the rule, I’ve never been a part of anything like that.”

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