Nebraska Pushes No. 3 Michigan to the Brink Despite Key Absences
Nebraska walked into Ann Arbor on Tuesday night down two key contributors - Rienk Mast and Braden Frager - and still nearly knocked off the No. 3 team in the country. For most of the night, it didn’t look like a shorthanded Huskers squad. It looked like a team ready to make a statement in the Big Ten.
They led for the majority of the game. Their defense was disruptive, their offense was confident, and their energy matched the moment.
But in the final minutes, Michigan made just enough plays - including the go-ahead bucket with 1:03 left - to escape with a 75-72 win. It was Nebraska’s first loss of the season, and while it stings, there’s a lot to take away from how this team performed on the road against one of the nation’s best.
Let’s break it down.
1. Nebraska Came Out Firing - And Nearly Pulled It Off
This wasn’t a team feeling sorry for itself without two key pieces. Nebraska came out swinging.
The Huskers hit 10 threes in the first half, forced eight Michigan turnovers, and led by as many as 11. Jamarques Lawrence set the tone early, pouring in 17 first-half points and giving Nebraska the kind of spark you need to compete in a hostile environment.
Cale Jacobsen, stepping into the starting lineup for Mast, did the little things that win games - defending, moving the ball, playing with poise. And then there was Pryce Sandfort, who continues to look like a serious Big Ten Player of the Year contender. He knocked down five triples and scored 20+ for the fifth straight game, once again showing his ability to be a go-to scorer in big moments.
This wasn’t a fluke. Nebraska wasn’t just hanging around - they were dictating the game for long stretches. That kind of performance, especially on the road and down two rotation players, says a lot about this group’s resilience and ceiling.
2. The Absence of Rienk Mast Was Felt Everywhere
It’s hard to overstate how much Nebraska missed Rienk Mast - and Braden Frager - in this one. Mast, a former All-Big Ten performer, anchors this team on both ends. Without him, Nebraska struggled to control the paint and couldn’t quite finish the job late.
Michigan got to the free-throw line 24 times - a number that’s 10 higher than Nebraska’s season average for opponent attempts. Meanwhile, the Huskers only got to the line four times themselves. That’s a massive gap, and it played a major role in the outcome.
Nebraska still shot 58% on two-point attempts - a solid number against a team like Michigan. But defensively, they gave up 70% shooting on twos.
That’s where Mast’s presence - especially as a low-post defender - could’ve made a difference. His ability to alter shots, box out, and hold his ground inside might’ve been the missing ingredient down the stretch.
And when Nebraska went cold from deep in the second half - just one made three after halftime - they lacked the interior scoring punch that Mast and Frager usually provide. This team has weapons, but losing two of their best scorers and post defenders in a game like this is a tough ask, even for a group that’s been as sharp as Nebraska has all season.
3. Big Ten Title Hopes Still Very Much Alive
Yes, the loss stings. A 21-0 record with a road win over a top-5 team would’ve been a massive feather in Nebraska’s cap.
But big picture? The Huskers are still in a great spot.
They’re 9-1 in Big Ten play and tied for first place. They’ve already beaten Michigan State and the other two teams in that first-place logjam - Purdue and Illinois - are still set to come to Lincoln.
That’s a huge opportunity. If Nebraska can protect home court, they’re right in the thick of this race.
Michigan, meanwhile, gets Michigan State on Friday. That win over Nebraska gives the Wolverines some breathing room, but it also raises the stakes for Nebraska’s next game. Every matchup from here on out feels like it carries Big Ten title implications.
It’s going to take something like a 17-3 conference record to win the league outright - maybe even better. That’s a tall task, but it’s still within reach. Nebraska showed Tuesday night that even when they’re shorthanded, they can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the country.
Final Word
This game won’t go down as a win, but it might say more about Nebraska than some of the victories that came before it. They went into a top-5 team’s building without two key players and nearly walked out with a win. That’s not just impressive - that’s the kind of performance that builds belief.
If Rienk Mast and Braden Frager return healthy, and if this team continues to defend and shoot the way it has, Nebraska’s ceiling remains sky-high. One loss doesn’t derail a season. In fact, it might just sharpen the focus for what’s still very much in play: a Big Ten title run.