Nebraska Survives Cold Shooting Start, Makes History in Win Over North Dakota
There are going to be nights like this for Nebraska - games where the shots just don’t fall, especially from beyond the arc. When a team leans heavily on the three, the risk is always baked in: if the perimeter shots go cold, things can get dicey in a hurry. That was the case early on against North Dakota, but credit to the Huskers - they didn’t panic, they adapted, and they found a way to flip the script in the second half.
Nebraska came out ice cold from deep, going just 2-for-18 from three in the first half (a frigid 11%) and shooting only 28% overall. And yet, despite the offensive struggles, they trailed by just two at the break.
That’s the kind of stat line that raises eyebrows - not because it’s sustainable, but because it highlights how much worse it could’ve been. Against a team like Michigan State, who’s looming on the January schedule, a start like that could dig a hole too deep to climb out of.
The Huskers know that. The coaching staff knows that.
This isn’t a new concern - it’s one they’ve been preparing to handle.
Fortunately for Nebraska, this wasn’t Michigan State. It was North Dakota - a team with some history against the Huskers but clearly overmatched this time around.
North Dakota had taken a win in Lincoln back in 2019 and even led at halftime in 2023 before Nebraska stormed back. But this version of North Dakota didn’t have the same bite, and this version of Nebraska looks far more complete.
That showed in the second half. Nebraska came out with a clear adjustment: get downhill, attack the paint, and stop settling for contested threes.
The result? Just nine three-point attempts after halftime - and they hit six of them.
The offense opened up, the ball started moving, and suddenly the Huskers were playing their game. They poured in 54 second-half points, a far cry from the 24 they managed in the first 20 minutes.
When the shots started falling, the energy shifted. The pace picked up.
Everything looked smoother - and frankly, a lot more fun.
But the biggest storyline of the night wasn’t the comeback or the shooting turnaround. It was the history made by Berke Buyuktuncel.
The sophomore forward did a little bit of everything - and then some - finishing with a triple-double: 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. He became just the fourth player in Nebraska program history to record a triple-double, and remarkably, he’s the second Husker to do it this season. Reink Mast notched one earlier this year against FIU, making this a rare and impressive feat for any program, let alone one that had just two in its entire history before this season.
Buyuktuncel’s 10th assist was a beauty - a defensive rebound with 2:31 left, a full-court push, and a slick behind-the-back wraparound pass to a cutting Sam Hoiberg for the layup. But at that point, he still had just nine points. Everyone in the building - from the TV crew to the coaching staff to his teammates - seemed to know he was one bucket away from history.
On the next possession, Nebraska looked like they were setting up a play to get him a look near the rim. North Dakota, perhaps unaware or simply out of position, left him wide open on the perimeter.
Buyuktuncel didn’t hesitate - he stepped into a three and buried it. Triple-double secured.
It was a fitting cap to a night that started slow but ended with a milestone. And while the Huskers will need to be sharper out of the gate against tougher opponents, this game showed their ability to adjust, stay composed, and lean on the depth and versatility that’s becoming a hallmark of Fred Hoiberg’s team.
Braden Frager led all scorers with 17 points, while Sam Hoiberg chipped in 15 for Nebraska. Eli King paced North Dakota with 13.
As the calendar flips toward conference play, Nebraska’s ability to weather storms like this - and still find ways to win - could prove to be the difference in a tightly contested Big Ten race.