Nebraska basketball falls to UCLA in crushing fashion 72-52
Nebraska basketball (25-4, 14-4) capped off its West Coast trip with an ugly 72-52 loss to UCLA on Tuesday. The Huskers trailed from the jump and never looked competitive.
Sam Hoiberg led the way with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting. Rienk Mast added 11 points and three rebounds, while Cale Jacobsen had a productive night off the bench with 11 points, four rebounds and two steals. Pryce Sandfort struggled to find a groove with just nine points and a 2-of-6 clip from deep.
The Huskers shot 39% from the field and 21% from deep in the loss. They turned it over 13 times and missed nine free throws. UCLA narrowly won the rebounding battle but scored 17 second-chance points thanks to 11 offensive boards.
Here is an instant recap of the loss:
Subscribe to get exclusive Huskers content on HuskerOnline today!
Disastrous first half
Nebraska’s first-half performance was downright abysmal. The Huskers shot 31% from the field and just 2-of-16 from deep while turning it over seven times.
UCLA, on the other hand, shot 36% from behind the arc and 50% overall. The Bruins scored nine second-chance points and seven points off turnovers in the first half.
Mick Cronin‘s squad jumped out to a 9-2 lead as the Huskers coughed up three quick turnovers. Hoiberg hit Nebraska’s first triple, but the Bruins’ offense was hot early. They started 6-of-8 from the field and 2-of-3 from deep, building a commanding 14-5 lead at the under-16 timeout.
Jacobsen checked in and broke a three-minute FG drought with a nice stepback jumper. However, forward Xavier Booker crushed any hope of a Husker run with back-to-back 3-pointers. The Bruins built as big as a 12-point lead with 10:35 remaining in the half.
UCLA opened the night with a 4-of-6 clip from deep and shot 69% from the field over the first 10 minutes. Only four of their first 18 shots resulted in a Nebraska rebound.
The Huskers, on the contrary, made just one of their first eight 3-point attempts. Jacobsen kept them in the game with six crucial points while the offense sputtered. Sandfort finally got on the board with 7:41 left in the half, drilling a 3-pointer while being fouled hard. He made the ensuing free throw to pull Nebraska within eight, 27-19.
A jumper from Jamarques Lawrence and a free throw from Mast narrowed the deficit even further, but the Huskers couldn’t take advantage. They missed four consecutive 3-pointers on one trip down the floor, plummeting their clip to 2-of-14 from behind the arc.
- 1
Ed Orgeron returns to LSU on Lane Kiffin's staff
- 2
Judge recused in Brendan Sorsby eligibility case
- 3
NewAhmad Hardy speaks on rehab, Mizzou return after shooting
- 4
Lane Kiffin reveals NFL-like 'fine system' for players
- 5
Bryce Underwood back for Round 2
Get the On3 Top 10 Newsletter in your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
UCLA quickly extended its lead to 15 with an 8-0 run. The Huskers didn’t score for three minutes and hit just one of their final 11 FG attempts of the half.
Bruins control wire to wire
The shooting nightmares continued early in the second half as Nebraska started the period 0-for-6 from the field.
Hoiberg finally scored a driving layup with 17:26 remaining, but star guard Trent Perry answered with his second 3-pointer. A steal and transition dunk put UCLA up by 18, 46-28, with 15:18 to go.
Hoiberg and Jacobsen combined for a pair of triples, finally building some rhythm from deep. Jared Garcia checked in and immediately hit a jumper, pulling Nebraska within 14. The Bruins didn’t score a FG for three minutes but remained securely in control.
Sandfort responded to Perry’s third 3-pointer with one of his own, marking the Huskers’ seventh straight make. Jacobsen nabbed a steal and was fouled, but he missed the front end of a one-and-one chance. The Huskers started 6-of-11 from the charity stripe, but Mast made the most of an opportunity, pulling Nebraska within 10, 57-47, with 6:49 left.
Just when it looked like the Huskers stood a chance, UCLA answered with a 5-point trip down the floor. The Bruins parlayed that run into a dominant final five minutes to secure a 20-point top-10 win, 72-52.
Nebraska shot 50% from the field and 38% from deep in the second half, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Lawrence finished with two points on 1-of-8 shooting and three turnovers. Braden Frager also struggled, making just one of seven FG attempts and turning it over twice.
