Nebraska men’s basketball had an uphill battle on Thursday night, returning home after a road loss to face No. 6 Wisconsin in Lincoln. The Huskers found themselves in trouble in the first half, down 43-27. But Nebraska exited the locker rooms on fire, erasing the deficit before upsetting Wisconsin 80-72 in overtime.
The Huskers outscored the Badgers 40-24 in the second half, nearly ending it in regulation before Wisconsin secured a layup to force overtime. Nebraska pulled away in the end, achieving its second top-10 upset this season. A key stat of the game came at the free throw line, where the Huskers landed 19-of-26 while Wisconsin only shot 8-of-12.
C.J. Wilcher led Nebraska in scoring after dropping only six points in the first half. Wilcher helped the Huskers roar back in the second half and overtime, finishing the game with a career-high 22 points. Wilcher’s scoring came primarily from beyond the arc, landing five of seven shots.
Rienk Mast finished behind Wilcher in scoring, landing 20 points on the night for Nebraska. Brice Williams rounded out the Huskers’ double-digit scorers, tallying up 17 points. Williams also led the team in rebounds with nine and free throws with eight.
Nebraska moves to 16-6 on the season, matching its win total from last year with nine regular-season games remaining. The Huskers will hit the road to play Illinois on Sunday night. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. and can be viewed on the Big Ten Network.
CARDIAC CORNHUSKERS. pic.twitter.com/SE31PDvCHD
— Nebraska Men's Basketball (@HuskerMBB) February 2, 2024