Huskies Fall to No. 7 Nebraska: Sprinkle Reflects on Missed Opportunities and Bright Spots
In a game defined by razor-thin margins, Washington head coach Danny Sprinkle didn’t mince words after the Huskies’ 76-66 road loss to undefeated Nebraska on Wednesday night. Speaking postgame with Tony Castricone and Jason Hamilton, Sprinkle pointed to a couple of cold spells that made all the difference against the No. 7-ranked Cornhuskers.
Let’s break it down: two scoreless stretches - one in each half - swung the momentum squarely in Nebraska’s favor. In the first half, Washington went quiet for about two and a half minutes while Nebraska rattled off three straight triples.
That sequence alone created a gap the Huskies spent the rest of the game trying to close. Then, early in the second half, another nearly three-minute drought saw the Cornhuskers go on a 9-2 run, with Washington’s only points coming from two Hannes Steinbach free throws.
That was enough for Nebraska to maintain control the rest of the way.
For a team that’s shown flashes of high-level potential, those lapses were costly - and Sprinkle knows it.
Still, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. One of the night’s bright spots was the continued emergence of freshman guard Courtland Muldrew.
Sprinkle highlighted his performance postgame, noting the poise and energy the young guard brought to the floor. In a tough road environment against a top-10 team, Muldrew didn’t back down - and that’s something the Huskies can build on moving forward.
Sprinkle also shared that he challenged Hannes Steinbach at halftime - and it showed. The big man responded with more aggression and effort in the second half, a necessary adjustment against a physical Nebraska frontcourt that doesn’t give an inch.
When asked to compare the gauntlet of recent opponents - Nebraska, Michigan, and Michigan State - Sprinkle didn’t hesitate to acknowledge the quality across the board. But there was a tone of respect when he spoke about Nebraska’s execution, especially on the defensive end. The Cornhuskers are unbeaten for a reason, and they showed it by capitalizing on Washington’s mistakes and never letting up.
The Huskies, meanwhile, leave Lincoln knowing they were close - but close doesn’t cut it in games like these. The challenge now is turning those “what if” moments into “we did” moments.
Washington has the talent. The question is whether they can tighten up the details, eliminate the lapses, and bring a full 40-minute effort. If they can, nights like this one might start ending differently.