The Iowa basketball team added to the win column for the third-straight game against Nebraska on Sunday afternoon, stretching its lead down the stretch to win, 81-70.

The win moves the Hawkeyes to 14-10, 6-5 in the Big Ten conference.

Adam’s takeaways:

Hawkeyes use balance, even after Jok returns: This game was Jok’s first after missing two-straight games with a back injury. McCaffery hinted that he might play a lot, but the real question was how he’d fit back into the lineup. Iowa’s balanced scoring led the charge an ultimately edged out Nebraska. Jordan Bohannon, Tyler Cook, Jok, and Brady Ellingson each scored more than 10 points. Ahmad Wagner, Dom Uhl, Cordell Pemsl, and Nicholas Baer combined to score 26 points. Nebraska couldn’t focus on one player defensively. Out of the 11 Hawkeyes who played today, all but one scored.

Iowa iced the game at the line: Iowa utilized free throw opportunities in the second half to keep Nebraska at bay. The Hawkeyes managed to keep four Huskers in foul trouble, with one fouling out. In the second half, Iowa struggled to put the final nail in the Husker coffin. Getting to the line helped Iowa do so. Iowa went 14-16 from the line in the second half (18-23 for the entire game). Jok hit all 8 of his shots from the stripe today.

Blake’s takeaways:

Hawkeyes continue to be salty at home: Iowa didn’t play wonderful basketball against Nebraska, not nearly as well as they played against Ohio State or Rutgers. But on their home court, they found a way to put Nebraska on their back hip and never let them take the lead in the second half. That’s a sign of a maturing team and a team that is playing some of its best basketball at the right time. Sitting a 6-5 in the conference, Iowa could potentially be looking at a bye in the Big Ten tournament.

Brady Ellingson is becoming a weapon: Ellingson, after an 11-point, 5-assist, no turnover game, has become much more than a role player off the bench for Iowa. At times McCaffery runs the offense through the junior. His ultra-efficient game (4-6 FGs, 3-4 from deep) is what has made him special over the past three games.