Even without two key contributors, Nebraska went into Ann Arbor and showed it can hang with anyone in the country. The Huskers didn’t just show up-they nearly walked out with a signature win, leading or tied for nearly 38 minutes before a late Michigan surge handed them a 75-72 loss.
The defining moment came with just over a minute to play. With the game tied at 72, Michigan’s Trey McKenney drove into Sam Hoiberg, dropped in a tough bucket, and didn’t draw a whistle despite heavy contact that sent Hoiberg to the floor. It was a no-call that left Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg frustrated postgame.
“Sam made a helluva play getting outside the lane, getting smoked in the chest and they don’t call it,” Hoiberg said on the Huskers Radio Network. “That was a huge play. That put them up with about a minute to go.”
It was Michigan’s first lead since 3-2, and it came at the worst possible time for a Nebraska team that had emptied the tank.
And let’s be clear-this was a shorthanded Nebraska squad. Braden Frager (ankle) didn’t suit up, and Rienk Mast (illness) gave it everything he had to try and play, but simply wasn’t in condition to go.
That’s two major pieces down. Still, Nebraska didn’t blink.
The Huskers came out firing, hitting 10 threes in the first half and building a 31-20 lead at one point. They led by as many as nine with just over 11 minutes left in the second half. This wasn’t a fluke run-they controlled the game for long stretches, even as Michigan kept coming.
But the second half told a different story. Nebraska’s legs faded, and the shots stopped falling.
After going 59.4% from the field in the first half, they dropped to just 32.3% in the second. From three-point range, they went 1-of-13 after halftime.
That’s a tough recipe to overcome, especially when the opponent is living at the free-throw line.
Michigan made 19-of-23 from the stripe, including 14 second-half points from the line alone. Nebraska?
Just 4 attempts all game, making 3. Some of that’s the Wolverines’ size and style-they’re built to attack the paint.
But the disparity was hard to ignore.
“The key one to me was the one where Sam... he was standing there for a couple seconds and then he got run right through his chest,” Hoiberg said. “That’s the one that hurts.”
Still, Nebraska had its chances. Jamarques Lawrence and Pryce Sandfort were hot early, each finishing with 20 points. Hoiberg-fighting through illness himself-stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds, doing a little bit of everything.
The Huskers played just seven guys, including freshman Leo Curtis, who stepped up with 13 minutes and 6 points in his first meaningful Big Ten action. With Mast out, Curtis' contribution was a welcome lift.
“He gave himself every opportunity but he couldn’t do it,” Hoiberg said of Mast. “Braden... we just didn’t want to take the chance coming on the road. So hopefully we get both those guys back for Illinois.”
Four of Nebraska’s starters logged at least 35 minutes, with Cale Jacobsen adding 28. That’s a heavy load, and it showed late.
Nebraska went 1-of-9 to close the game, including a missed three from Lawrence in the final seconds that could’ve tied it. Hoiberg had a last look on an inbounds play with two seconds left, but it didn’t fall.
Defensively, the Huskers were sharp in the second half. They forced 19 turnovers and held Michigan to just one made three after halftime.
That +8 turnover margin and +15 edge from three-point range should’ve been enough. But between the missed layups, the second-half shooting slump, and the free-throw disparity, Nebraska just couldn’t close the deal.
Still, the message postgame was clear: this team has heart. They fought through adversity, illness, and a tough road environment against a national title contender-and nearly pulled it off.
“We just showed that we can compete with anybody in the country,” Hoiberg said. “Shorthanded, we go toe-to-toe with them in their gym. Had a really good chance to win it.”
That chance slipped away, but the belief didn’t. Now, Nebraska turns its attention to a Top 10 showdown with Illinois back in Lincoln.
“We haven’t had this feeling in a long time,” Hoiberg said. “We’ve responded well after big, emotional wins.
Now we’re going to have to find a way to respond after an emotional loss. I’m confident our group will do that.”
If this game was any indication, there’s every reason to believe him.