The Iowa women’s basketball team more than doubled its first-half scoring output in the second stanza, but it wasn’t enough to topple No. 19 Nebraska on Thursday in Lincoln, Neb.

The Cornhuskers held on to win, 60-53.

Iowa led by 4 points at the 12-minute mark of the first half but scored just 3 more points before halftime — all coming on free throws — to trail at the break, 30-17. The Hawkeyes were 5-of-24 (20.8 percent) from the floor in the half, included 1-of-11 (9.1 percent) from 3-point territory.

"I don’t know how many times you can win a game when you go 12 minutes — a quarter of the game — without scoring a field goal," Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said. "That was a tough stretch for us; it’s like halftime couldn’t come quickly enough for us."

The Hawkeyes were decidedly better in the second half, pouring in 36 points. Jaime Printy started the scoring by draining a trey 12 seconds into the period. The junior was 4-of-7 from beyond the arc in the period and made up the backbone of a 7-for-17 (41.2 percent) 3-point team effort in the half.

But the halftime hole was too deep, and Nebraska improved to 17-3 (6-2 Big Ten). Forward Jordan Hooper scored 10 of her game-high 22 points in the second half, the Cornhuskers dominated the paint, picking up a 22-10 advantage, and Nebraska scored 20 points on Iowa turnovers.

The Hawkeyes fall to 11-10 (3-5) with the loss, and have little time to recuperate before hosting No. 13 Purdue on Jan. 29. Iowa’s hopes for a fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance grew dimmer, as well; the team has lost four of its last five contests and sits in the bottom half of the Big Ten with just eight games left in the regular season.

— by Seth Roberts