Two three-point attempts from the Tigerhawk at center court. Two swishes. Two game-winners over Northwestern for Iowa men’s basketball just five years apart. From former Hawkeye guard Jordan Bohannon’s heroics in February 2019 to third-year guard Josh Dix’s buzzer-beater on Tuesday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, history repeated itself in the Hawkeyes’ 80-79 victory to open their Big Ten slate. 

“It was the same play call,” Iowa forward Payton Sandfort said postgame. 

“We actually knew. We actually told our guys that was the play they were going to run,” Northwestern head coach Chris Collins added. 

All it took was an impromptu timeout call from Sandfort to set up the magic. With 5.8 seconds remaining, Iowa guard Brock Harding took the ball across halfcourt before dishing it to second-year Pryce Sandfort, who was supposed to take the final shot, according to head coach Fran McCaffery. 

“It just didn’t look good with what we had going,” Payton Sandfort said. “Pryce claims that he pulled it back, so I believe, because he wouldn’t miss like that.” 

The elder Sandfort said he took inspiration from former teammate Connor McCaffery, who he claimed would call timeouts during games, especially when Payton Sandfort was the one taking the shot. So why not return the favor against his younger brother? 

“We had talked about it a little in the huddle,” Payton Sandfort said of the timeout call. “Honestly, I thought I called it with more time, but we didn’t need more time, so we’re good.” 

Indeed, only eight-tenths of a second were required for Dix to catch and shoot. Fran McCaffery even gave Payton Sandfort a shoutout in the locker room for the coaching improvisation. 

“The guys went nuts,” the head coach said with a smile.

Dix wasn’t the first option. Facing a two-point deficit, the Hawkeyes wanted a lob pass to big man Owen Freeman for a tip-in, but the second-year got caught up by a defender when setting a screen. Payton Sandfort was the next man up, but he was blanketed in the corner by Northwestern’s Brooks Barnhizer. 

That left Dix, who sprinted up from the elbow to just above the Tigerhawk beak, standing over 30 feet away from the basket. Catch. Fade. Shoot. 

“I felt maybe like it was short, but it was definitely straight,” Dix said of his first-ever buzzer-beater. 

Payton Sandfort had a similar confidence. 

“It’s not easy, that’s the simplest way to put it, but [Dix] is one of the best players I’ve ever played with, and he made it look easy,” he said. “What he did is especially not easy, especially with what’s on the line.” 

Had Dix’s triple not fallen, Iowa would’ve opened its 20-game conference schedule with a dud – a heartbreaking home loss to a Northwestern squad ranked 73 in the NET standings heading into Tuesday’s action. After the Wildcats, the Hawkeyes visit Michigan and host No. 6 Iowa State – both Quad 1 opportunities, but also threats of demoralizing losses. 

Dix’s clutch performance may have prevented a three-game losing skid, but Iowa will need more than late-game magic if it wants to make the conference tournament and return to the Big Dance. 

“I always liken the Big Ten slate to a 20-round fight,” Collins said. “Because it’s hard, especially to win on the road.” 

If the Hawkeyes want to endure to the final bell, they will have to patch up clear open wounds that bled for much of the second half against the Wildcats. The free-throw line wasn’t charitable to Iowa on Tuesday and hasn’t been this season. The Hawkeyes shot 11-of-19 against Northwestern, including four misses on and-one opportunities. Iowa now has a 66.9 free-throw percentage – ranking 15th in the Big Ten in that category. 

“Just having confidence up there, you know, when shots aren’t going in, you’re almost pressed to make them go in,” Payton Sandfort said of the team’s free-throw struggles. “Sometimes I think a lot of guys are doing that. I have no doubt that we’re going to figure it out. Maybe it’s more pressure in practice … but it’s going to be a big part of this, of closing out games. 

The lack of rebounding also reared its head as the Hawkeyes were outperformed on the glass, 36-26 and conceded 11 offensive boards to the Wildcats. The starting frontcourt struggled on Tuesday, with Freeman and forward Ladji Dembele combining for 16 points and four rebounds as the 6-foot-8 Payton Sandfort led the effort with seven. Iowa ranks 17th in the Big Ten in rebounds per game.

Fran McCaffery admitted his team played “tentatively” in the second half. Players didn’t flash confidence in their shots. Dembele faced a wide-open look in the paint late in the game but hesitated before taking a dribble and trying a fadeaway that clanged off the rim. 

The Hawkeye faithful groaned at the miscue but were soon delighted when Harding converted two layups with less than a minute to go to keep the Hawkeyes within one. The guard missed a chance to tie the game with 15 ticks to go with a missed free throw, but his strides this season should give fans encouragement going forward. 

After not hitting double-digit points in each of the Hawkeyes’ first five games, Harding has posted double figures over the last three contests, averaging 17 points and seven assists over the span. Besides the statistics, Harding provided leadership against Northwestern that shouldn’t be overlooked and may play a pivotal role going forward. 

“Brock kept telling us, ‘Live in the moment. We’re going to make play by play,’ Dix said. “And that’s what we did.”