Nebraska’s Pryce Sandfort (21) drives past Purdue’s Trey Kaufman-Renn in the Big Ten Tournament. (Courtesy: Nebraska Athletics)
Turnovers early, rebounding late doom Huskers in Chicago
CHICAGO — No. 11 Nebraska’s run in the Big Ten Tournament ended with one game Friday evening and a familiar frustration.
Purdue controlled the game from the outset and never trailed, defeating the Nebraska 74–58 at the United Center to send Nebraska into the NCAA Tournament searching for answers after its second loss to Purdue this season.
Nebraska (26–6) struggled to find rhythm throughout the night, shooting 39.3% from the field and committing 10 turnovers that repeatedly fueled Purdue’s offense. The Boilermakers capitalized on those mistakes, scoring 17 points off turnovers while building a double-digit lead that never seriously threatened to disappear.
Head coach Fred Hoiberg said Nebraska’s early offensive struggles created a ripple effect that the team could not recover from.
“I thought we missed some good looks early, then I thought we started pressing a little bit, trying to make plays into small spaces,” Hoiberg said. “You can’t do that this time of year.”
Purdue seized control quickly behind efficient interior play and perimeter shooting. The Boilermakers shot 53.6% in the first half and took a 41–28 lead into the break.
Guard Fletcher Loyer led Purdue with 19 points, knocking down four three-pointers. Oscar Cluff added 12 points and nine rebounds, while C.J. Cox chipped in 12 points. Trey Kaufman-Renn contributed 10 points and nine rebounds as Purdue controlled the glass, finishing with a 37–29 rebounding edge and 19 second-chance points.
Nebraska never led and trailed by as many as 20 in the second half.
“We knew we had to battle them physically to have a chance, and I think we lost that battle today,” said guard Sam Hoiberg. “It’s frustrating, because a lot of the things that we struggled with today are what we struggled with the last time we played them.”
The Huskers were led by Pryce Sandfort with 15 points, while Rienk Mast added 11 points and three assists. But Nebraska struggled to generate consistent offense, finishing just 4-for-9 from the free-throw line and shooting under 40% overall.
Mast said Purdue’s defensive approach was exactly what Nebraska expected.
“[They attacked us] pretty much the same way as what they did the last time we played,” Mast said. “We saw it on film and knew they were going to do that — but they did the same thing they did last time.”
While the turnovers hurt early, Fred Hoiberg said Nebraska’s inability to finish defensive possessions in the second half kept the Huskers from making a run.
“[The turnovers] were just mindless,” Hoiberg said. “You give them eight opportunities in the points-off-turnover differential in the first half, and then the inability to finish the possession in the second half. First half, it was the turnovers; second half, it was the rebounding. We have to find a way to put two halves together if we want any chance of advancing next week.”
Despite the loss, Nebraska’s focus quickly shifts to the NCAA Tournament, where the program will chase its first tournament victory in school history.
“There’s a lot of adversity right now,” said guard Jamarques Lawrence. “As a group, we’re really going through something. That’s on me to keep everybody’s head straight and keep a good attitude.”
The Huskers echoed that mindset in the locker room afterward, determined to regroup before Selection Sunday.
“It’ll be exciting,” Sandfort said. “But first we have to go back and learn from this film, figure out what went wrong exactly.”
And with the postseason ahead, Lawrence said Nebraska’s mentality must remain simple.
“If you’re not excited to play this next game, you really can’t play,” Lawrence said. “It’s win or go home. Everybody’s heads have to be on straight and stay focused.”