Nebraska’s trip to the East Coast ended with a grind-it-out win, as the Huskers beat Providence 67-58 in the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off.
It wasn’t pretty, but Nebraska found enough offense to stay in front the whole way and enough defense to make sure the Friars never broke through. The Huskers moved to 2-0 by controlling both halves and winning a game that stayed firmly in low-scoring territory.
Pryce Sandfort led the way with 25 points and took home game MVP honors. He finished 9-of-14 from the floor, 3-of-8 from deep and 4-of-4 at the line. Sandfort also added four assists and three steals in a standout all-around effort.
Nebraska got more scoring help from Boden Kapke, Braden Frager and Cale Jacobsen, all of whom finished in double figures. Kapke put up 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 1-of-2 from three and 2-of-2 at the stripe.
Frager scored 12 despite a rough shooting night, going 3-of-13 overall and 1-of-8 from three, but he made 5-of-7 free throws and matched the defensive tone with a game-high four steals. Jacobsen added 11 points, getting there with 7-of-9 shooting from the line and 2-of-3 from the field.
The Huskers did a lot of their damage by turning defense into points. Nebraska scored 20 points off 18 Providence turnovers and finished with a 12-2 edge in steals. That was enough to offset a poor three-point night, as the Huskers shot 5-of-24 from beyond the arc and 22-of-49 overall, while making 18-of-24 free throws.
Providence struggled even more from the field, hitting just 19-of-62 shots and 7-of-38 from three. The Friars did win the rebound battle 33-31 and went 13-of-14 at the line, but Nebraska’s pressure kept them from finding any real rhythm.
Nebraska now heads back home for a matchup with Lindenwood on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT and the game will be carried on FS1 and the Huskers Radio Network.
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Nebraska Gets A Useful Early Test Its Defense Cant Ignore
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Lindenwood comes in with a recent win over East-West University and a loss to TCU, which makes it a useful measuring stick for a Nebraska team still sorting out its identity. These are the kinds of games that can expose bad habits or confirm progress, and for the Cornhuskers, the defensive end is the part that cant be ignored as they keep working through the non-league slate. [Read more 🡒]