Survive and advance! That’s the name of the game and that is exactly what the Iowa Hawkeyes found a way to do tonight in their Sweet 16 battle against the Colorado Buffaloes. The Hawkeyes are headed to the Elite 8 and it wasn’t without a little sweat but that is what makes it fun.
The Buffaloes hung tough with the Hawkeyes for quite a while, even holding a 40-39 lead at halftime and never quite went away. They made Iowa work for this one and earn every single point. The Colorado stingy defense reared its head for a while against Iowa and made them work for points at times.
Down the stretch, the Hawkeyes found a way to dig deep and pull away. It wasn’t easy, there were good performances, there are areas to improve, but ultimately, Iowa is in the Elite 8 and that is the sole goal.
Here are the five takeaways from Iowa’s Sweet 16 victory over the Colorado Buffaloes.