History made: Nebraska breaks through with first NCAA Tournament win
OKLAHOMA CITY – History was made in Oklahoma City. In front of a packed Paycom Center full of Big Red fans, the Nebraska (27-6) basketball team took down Troy (22-12) 76-47 to win its first NCAA Tournament game in school history.
Before Thursday, NU was the only major-conference program without an NCAA tournament win, with an all-time record of 0-8.
“This is the most emotional of all of them. Was for me,” NU head coach Fred Hoiberg said following the win. “You talk to the players about when they got sort of soaking it in. I think there was 1:13 left, and both benches were empty. It was. It’s emotional for me.
“I think of my dad, who is in a home right now. I hope he got a chance to watch this one. I can’t wait to talk to him just because of what it means for our family. It is emotional. There’s no doubt about it.”
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A pro-Husker crowd that made up well over 90 percent of the arena, fueled Nebraska after NU trailed 15-12 at the 10:34 mark in the first half. From there, Nebraska took over. NU had three consecutive three-pointers by Pyrce Sandfort and Jemarques Lawrence in a span of 1:18, sparking a 9-0 run, giving NU a 21-15 lead. They never trailed again.
Following that stretch, Sandfort delivered a first-half knockout run. Sandfort hit two-straight three-pointers and two free throws, taking a 24-19 game to 32-19 in the span of 1:31.
However, maybe the best part of Nebraska’s win was that the Huskers did not let up in the second half, after a 41-25 lead at the break. NU forced 17 turnovers and outscored the Trojans 19-3 on second-chance points. The Huskers had just six turnovers and took 19 more shots than Troy.
The Huskers went on multiple 6-0 and 10-0 runs in the second half to build their lead as big as 30 points. Troy never got closer than 11 points in the second half.
“Nebraska is one of the best teams (I’ve ever faced). I’ve been doing this since 1998,” Troy head coach Scott Cross said. “They’re really, really freaking good. The way they shoot the basketball and the way they defend, watching it on video, you’re, like, man, there’s no openings as you watch it on video.”
Pryce Sandfort delivers a performance for the ages
Nebraska’s All-Big Ten player showed up in Oklahoma City. Sandfort delivered a performance for the ages, solidifying himself as one of the best players in program history. He did it as his older brother, Payton Sandfort, surprised him with an appearance at the Paycom Center after Payton played an NBA game last night with Oklahoma City in Brooklyn.
Sandfort was 5-of-8 on three pointers with 17 points at the half. It was the type of showing the Huskers have lacked in previous NCAA Tournament games, where their top players may not have performed their best on the biggest stage.
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“Definitely, the game plan going in was to make it as difficult as possible for Sandfort,” Cross said. “He’s one of the best shooters I’ve ever played against. As I mentioned in the press conference earlier, he has a Steph Curry-type release. When he got going, I thought that really changed the game, got the crowd involved.”
Sandfort made Thursday a no-doubter. Sandfort finished with a game-high 23 points, including seven made three-pointers. Braden Frager and Lawrence each added 13 points for the Huskers.
“I hit a couple early. I felt really locked in in warm-ups,” Sandfort said. “I give credit to my teammates, coaches putting me in the right spots, giving me the ball on time, on target. That’s what really got me going, and that’s what it is every game.”
Huskers will play for a chance at the Sweet 16 on Saturday
The several thousand Nebraska fans in Oklahoma City will now get a chance to watch the Huskers play for a chance to make the Sweet 16 on Saturday.
NU will play the winner of the Vanderbilt vs. McNeese State game on Saturday. Tip time will be released later on Thursday.
The 27th win by Nebraska is also the most in program history, topping the previous record of 26 wins by the 1990-91 Huskers.
“These guys all year long have moved on,” Hoiberg said. “They’ve been so resilient. They’ve gotten over big ones. They’ve gotten over tough losses. I’m confident that they’re going to do that again and be locked in. We always talk about the next thing. The next thing is a film session tonight after the recovery.”
