By John Bohnenkamp

IOWA CITY, Iowa – It was a game that looked like it was going to go down to the final minute.

What the Iowa women’s basketball team did to Nebraska on Thursday was smother the Huskers in the final five minutes of the 86-76 win at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The 14th-ranked Hawkeyes held the No. 20 Huskers to just one field goal in the final 5 minutes, 44 seconds, and by the time Britt Prince got that layup with 29 seconds remaining, the outcome was no longer in doubt.

Iowa dominated Nebraska to close out the win, coming up with the right plays at the right time while keeping the Huskers from getting anything easy.

“It’s like a dogfight,” Iowa guard Chazadi “Chit-Chat” Wright said. “Whoever gets the most steals and rebounds is going to win.”

Nebraska (12-2 overall, 1-2 Big Ten) was held to just 9-of-25 shooting in the second half after making 20 of its 33 shots in the first half.

“We changed a couple of things (defensively),” said Iowa forward Hannah Stuelke, who had 21 points and 10 rebounds. “But we definitely ramped up the intensity.”

It was only the second time this season that Nebraska was held under 80 points.

The Hawkeyes (12-2, 3-0), though, made all the big plays in that final five minutes.

Taylor McCabe’s 3-pointer gave Iowa a 74-70 lead with 4:32 to play, then Taylor Stremlow’s steal and layup 58 seconds later pushed the lead to six and felt like a dagger for the Huskers.

The Hawkeyes then closed the win by making all eight of their free throws the rest of the way.

“I thought it was definitely neat seeing some players have big plays at big times,” Iowa coach Jan Jensen said.

“It was just getting second chances, coming up with steals,”

Iowa fell behind 12-2 early, but made a run to turn this game into a see-saw. Nebraska led 45-44 at halftime, and it led Jensen to think it was going to come down to the end.

“I thought this was a fun game early, a great matchup early,” Jensen said. “I thought it was going to take every bit of what we had, and then some.”

Stuelke was dominant inside, picking up her fifth consecutive double-double. But Jensen was especially impressed with the play of Wright, who had a career-high 24 points while adding three assists.

“I think today we saw what she can provide playing that many minutes,” Jensen said of Wright, who played all but 38 seconds.

“I would say my team gives me a lot of confidence, and also they put a lot of trust in me,” Wright said. “So I just know, whatever I do, they’re going to have my back, whether it’s right or wrong.”

“It’s always right,” Stuelke immediately quipped.”

Ava Heiden added 18 points and seven rebounds for the Hawkeyes, shooting 8 of 10 from the field.

Prince led Nebraska with 27 points. Jessica Petrie had 17 points. Eliza Maupin had 12 points and 11 rebounds.

How the Hawkeyes finished, Jensen said, could set the tone for the rest of the season.

“That resolve in our mind, I think it will propel us going forward,” she said.