Nebraska Men’s Basketball Drops Overtime Heartbreaker After Shaky Start
LINCOLN - After a wild second half, a dramatic push to force overtime, and a frustrating final result, Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg didn’t dwell on the chaos at the end. Instead, his focus was on the first three minutes of the game - a stretch that, in his eyes, set the tone for everything that followed.
Nebraska came out flat. The Huskers allowed Penn State to open the game on a 10-0 run, and it wasn’t just the scoreboard that told the story - it was the body language, the energy, the execution. Hoiberg said his team lacked urgency from the jump, and in a Big Ten game on the road, that’s a recipe for trouble.
“You’ve got to come out ready to play, especially in this league,” Hoiberg said postgame. “That first stretch, we were just too passive. We weren’t the aggressor.”
And yet, despite that sluggish start, Nebraska clawed its way back. The Huskers erased a 12-point second-half deficit and even led by six with just over four minutes to go. But basketball is a game of moments, and Nebraska couldn’t close the deal.
A flurry of late-game miscues - missed free throws, defensive lapses, and a clutch three-pointer from Penn State - sent the game into overtime. From there, Nebraska struggled to find its rhythm again, and the Nittany Lions took advantage.
It was a frustrating finish to a game that Nebraska had every chance to win. And while the comeback showed grit, Hoiberg wasn’t interested in moral victories.
“We fought back, sure,” he said. “But you can’t put yourself in that hole in the first place.”
Turnovers and Missed Opportunities
The Huskers’ issues weren’t limited to the opening minutes. Turnovers were a problem all night - Nebraska coughed it up 17 times, and Penn State turned those mistakes into 21 points. That kind of sloppiness is tough to overcome, especially on the road.
There were bright spots, though. Keisei Tominaga was electric, scoring 23 points and hitting big shots to keep Nebraska in it.
Rienk Mast added 16 points and 10 rebounds, battling in the paint and giving the Huskers second-chance opportunities. But the supporting cast was inconsistent, and the team as a whole struggled to get stops when it mattered most.
Penn State’s guards did most of the damage, slicing through Nebraska’s defense and hitting timely shots. The Nittany Lions didn’t shoot lights out, but they made the plays when they needed to - especially in overtime, where they outscored the Huskers 12-6.
Hoiberg’s Message: Learn and Respond
After the game, Hoiberg’s message was clear: this can’t become a pattern. The Huskers have now dropped three straight, and with the Big Ten schedule only getting tougher, they’ll need to regroup quickly.
“We’ve got to be better at the start,” Hoiberg said. “We’ve got to value the ball. And we’ve got to finish games.”
This loss stings, no doubt. Nebraska had a chance to steal a road win in conference play, and those don’t come easy. But the bigger concern is the trend - slow starts, inconsistent execution, and missed chances late.
The Huskers have shown they can compete. They’ve beaten quality teams this season and have the talent to make noise in the Big Ten.
But to do that, they’ll need to bring 40 minutes of focus - not 37, not 35. All of it.
Next up, Nebraska returns home, where they’ve been far more comfortable this season. The hope is that this overtime loss becomes a turning point, not a tailspin.
Because in this league, the margin for error is razor-thin. And if the Huskers want to stay in the postseason conversation, they’ll need to tighten things up - fast.