Nebraska took care of business on Saturday, handling Northwestern 68-49 in Lincoln to complete the season sweep. It wasn’t always smooth sailing, but once the Huskers found their rhythm in the second half, they left no doubt about who was in control.
The first half was a bit of a grind. Nebraska went into the break with a slim 28-27 lead, and for a moment early in the second, Northwestern even managed to grab a four-point advantage.
But that lead didn’t last long. The Huskers responded with a barrage from deep, and that’s where the game turned.
Nebraska caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down 11 of their 25 three-point attempts. Pryce Sandfort led the charge with a performance that had the home crowd buzzing.
The junior guard poured in a game-high 29 points, shooting 10-of-21 from the field and 6-of-13 from three. He was perfect at the line and added six rebounds to round out a dominant showing.
As a team, Nebraska shot 24-of-53 from the floor and 9-of-12 at the stripe. The Huskers also controlled the glass, outrebounding Northwestern 40-24 - a stat that speaks volumes about their energy and physicality on both ends.
Sam Hoiberg gave Nebraska another strong boost, finishing with 14 points on an efficient 5-of-8 shooting. He did a little bit of everything, too - knocking down his only three-point attempt, hitting 3-of-4 from the line, pulling down seven boards, and dishing out five assists.
Cale Jacobsen added 10 points, hitting 4-of-7 from the field and 2-of-3 from deep, while also grabbing six rebounds. Rienk Mast was a force on the glass, leading the team with nine boards.
Northwestern, meanwhile, struggled to find any consistency offensively. The Wildcats shot just 3-of-15 from three-point range and finished 20-of-50 overall. They did manage to generate 27 points off Nebraska’s 18 turnovers, but it wasn’t nearly enough to keep pace once the Huskers got rolling.
With the win, Nebraska improves to 22-3 overall and 11-3 in Big Ten play - a mark that keeps them firmly in the mix at the top of the conference standings. Next up, they’ll head to Iowa City for a Tuesday night showdown with the Hawkeyes.
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.
If Nebraska brings the same energy and shooting touch they showed in the second half against Northwestern, they’ll be a tough out for anyone.