Nebraska basketball opened its season with the kind of performance that can make a team feel dangerous in a hurry.
The Huskers let Le Moyne linger for a stretch in the first half, but once Nebraska settled in, the game tilted hard. By the end, it was a 106-64 win and a reminder of the group that made history last March.
The box score had plenty to like. Nebraska hit 14 3-pointers, with eight different players connecting from deep.
Pryce Sandfort and Braden Frager combined for 27 points, though only two of their makes came from beyond the arc. Cale Jacobsen was especially efficient, going 7 of 8 from the field, including both of his 3s, and finishing with 17 points.
He added four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
The Huskers shot 47% from 3-point range and 54% overall. They kept the turnovers down with just eight and were charged with only 10 fouls. Le Moyne, meanwhile, picked up 21 fouls and committed 17 turnovers.
Here are three things that stood out from the win.
Nebraska did real damage inside, too
The 3-point shooting will grab the headlines, and that makes sense. It’s baked into Fred Hoiberg’s offense. But Nebraska wasn’t just living on jumpers.
The Huskers went 21-for-35 on 2-pointers, good for 60%. Le Moyne, by comparison, made 44% of its shots. Nebraska also gave up 10 3-pointers, but the help defense held up and helped force those 17 turnovers.
Damon Wilkinson, a transfer, was a big part of that interior success. He scored 11 points, got to the line nine times and made every one of those free throws, even though he finished with just one field goal.
Boden Kapke was 4 of 6, and Sandfort and Frager were more effective inside the arc than outside it. It was a strong all-around showing.
Connor Essegian wasted no time
After missing a large chunk of last season because of injury, Connor Essegian came back and looked ready to go right away.
In just seven minutes, he scored 13 points on 3-for-4 shooting from deep. He also made all four of his free throws and added two steals. For a player with a limited role, that’s the kind of burst that can change how a bench looks.
Nebraska fans had to like what they saw. If Essegian keeps shooting like that, his minutes figure to grow well beyond what he got against Le Moyne.
Jacob Lanier looked comfortable from the start
The true freshman made a strong first impression. Lanier played 23 minutes, fifth-most on the team, and scored 11 points while pulling down five rebounds, including two on the offensive glass.
The 6-foot-6 wing also hit two 3-pointers, recorded a steal and handed out two assists. He didn’t look like a freshman out there.
With Frager moving into the starting lineup, there’s a spot opening up on the bench. Jacobsen could be one option there depending on who starts when Orme returns, but Lanier already looks like someone who can hold down a rotation role.
Add in Essegian knocking down shots, and Nebraska starts to look pretty deep. That’s even more true after solid debuts from Wilkinson and Taj DeDourville, who combined for 20 points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench.
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