Turnovers Doom Rutgers in 80-68 Loss to No. 9 Nebraska
Rutgers walked into Lincoln looking to pull off a statement win against a top-10 Nebraska squad, but instead left with more questions than answers-especially when it comes to ball security. The Scarlet Knights fell 80-68 to the Cornhuskers in a game where turnovers weren’t just costly-they were decisive. Nebraska turned Rutgers’ 15 giveaways into 15 points, fueling the kind of scoring runs that can quickly take a game from competitive to out of reach.
The tone was set early. Kaden Powers got Rutgers on the board with a smooth triple on the opening possession, but Nebraska wasted no time firing back.
The Cornhuskers hit their first four shots and jumped out to a 14-10 lead in the opening five minutes. Rutgers clawed back to tie it at 16 behind Darren Buchanan Jr., who attacked the rim with purpose and tallied six early points.
But just when it looked like the Knights were settling in, the turnover bug bit hard-three straight miscues allowed Nebraska to regain control and go up 20-16.
From there, it was a game of missed opportunities and momentum swings-most of them favoring the Huskers. Jamarques Lawrence knocked down a three to push Nebraska’s lead to seven, the largest of the half at that point.
And while the Cornhuskers struggled to connect from deep, they found their groove inside. Late in the first half, they began slicing through the Rutgers defense for high-percentage looks at the rim, stretching the lead to 14 by halftime, 41-27.
Buchanan, who briefly exited earlier in the game, returned before the break but picked up his second foul early in the second half. That’s when Nebraska hit the gas.
Both teams traded threes to open the half, but the Cornhuskers quickly strung together a run that pushed the lead to 19, forcing Steve Pikiell to burn a timeout with just under 16 minutes to play. Unfortunately for Rutgers, the damage was already done.
The Knights never mounted a serious comeback from that point on.
Turnovers were the headline, but they weren’t the only issue. Rutgers coughed it up nine more times than Nebraska, and many of those came in bunches, fueling Husker runs. The Knights also struggled at the free throw line, hitting just 7 of 12 (58%), and were outscored in the paint 36-24-a tough pill to swallow against a team that already had the edge in transition and perimeter defense.
Rienk Mast was a force for Nebraska. After battling illness in recent games, he looked fully recharged, dropping 26 points and grabbing 8 boards. Lawrence, Pryce Sandfort, and Sam Hoiberg each chipped in 12+ points, giving the Cornhuskers a balanced attack that Rutgers simply couldn’t match.
Still, there were some bright spots for the Scarlet Knights. They actually shot better from the field than Nebraska, hitting 48% compared to the Huskers’ 47%, and they edged out their opponent on the glass by a single rebound. But when a team gives away that many possessions, it’s hard to make those margins matter.
Tariq Francis, inserted into the starting lineup, continued to shine. He led Rutgers with 16 points and five assists, showing poise even as the game slipped away.
Buchanan added 10 points and 5 boards, while Powers continues to show growth, scoring 14 and pulling down two rebounds. Freshman Denis Badalau made the most of his eight minutes off the bench, putting up six points and three rebounds in limited action-though most of his minutes came with the game already decided.
Rutgers will now get a much-needed breather. An eight-day break gives the Knights time to regroup before they return home to face Maryland on Sunday, February 15.
If they want to get back on track in Big Ten play, it starts with tightening the screws on ball control. Because against elite teams like Nebraska, every possession counts-and on Thursday night, Rutgers gave away far too many.