Nebraska’s Braden Frager (5) skies for a dunk against Maryland. (Courtesy: Nebraska Athletics)
Frager powers No. 12 Nebraska past Maryland, 74–61, with dominant second-half push
LINCOLN, Neb. — It took longer than usual for Nebraska fans to sit down Wednesday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena. But once the 12th-ranked Huskers finally found their footing, they never gave Maryland much of a chance to catch back up.
Behind a season-best performance from Braden Frager and a decisive edge on the glass, Nebraska pulled away in the second half for a 74–61 win over the Terrapins.
Maryland scored the game’s first six points and held Nebraska without a basket for nearly five minutes, delaying one of the arena’s most cherished traditions — fans standing until the Huskers score.
“I’m stupid enough to think in my head, ‘I wonder how long, the longest it’s taken for fans to sit down after scoring a point,’” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said with a smile. “I thought we were going to set that record tonight.”
Instead, Nebraska responded with resilience.
Frager led the Huskers with 21 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including three 3-pointers and a perfect 6-for-6 mark at the free throw line, while adding eight rebounds in one of his most complete performances of the season. Pryce Sandfort contributed 16 points and eight rebounds, and Sam Hoiberg added 12 points and seven rebounds as Nebraska improved to 24–4 overall and 13–4 in Big Ten play.
Frager’s resurgence has coincided with his improving health after battling through ankle and knee injuries in recent weeks.
“The biggest thing for me was confidence,” Frager said. “I wasn’t able to get in the gym outside of practice. Now that I’m feeling better, I can get back in and see the ball go in the hoop. I think the confidence is the biggest thing for me.”
Hoiberg said Frager’s presence was critical on both ends of the floor.
“You can tell how much better he’s feeling,” Fred Hoiberg said. “He went through a little bit of a struggle, but a lot of that had to do with his ankle and his knee. You can see he’s feeling pretty much back to one hundred percent. He was a monster all night.”
Nebraska trailed early but settled in behind improved defensive pressure and rebounding intensity. After Maryland briefly controlled the boards, the Huskers clawed back to finish with a 35–34 advantage, a key factor in creating separation down the stretch.
“One hundred percent of why we were able to get the lead and then pull away towards the end was the hustle plays, the rebounding,” Fred Hoiberg said. “I told [our team] before the game, if we win the glass, we’re going to win the game.”
The Huskers’ defensive adjustments also played a pivotal role in slowing Maryland’s offense, which shot just 37.5 percent from the field and managed only one fast-break point.
“It’s a good win for us,” Hoiberg said. “We changed up our defense — and we haven’t played a lot of that over the course of the year. They responded on the fly. We worked on it in shootaround today and they adjusted well.”
Nebraska carried a 33–27 lead into halftime before pulling away with a strong second half, outscoring Maryland 41–34. The Huskers led by as many as 15 points in the closing minutes.
Sam Hoiberg said the difference ultimately came down to effort, particularly on the glass.
“They got to a +8 rebounding margin at one point, and we were able to come back and win the rebounding margin — which was one of the keys of our game.”
Sandfort’s eight rebounds marked continued growth in an area of emphasis for the junior forward.
“Those are huge for Pryce, to get in there and battle on the boards,” Fred Hoiberg said. “He had zero at Iowa — last game he had nine, this game he had eight. He’s definitely trending in the right direction. We need him on the boards.”
Nebraska’s balance extended beyond scoring. The Huskers assisted on 18 of their 23 field goals and forced 11 Maryland turnovers, turning defensive stops into transition opportunities and maintaining steady control throughout the second half.
Maryland coach Buzz Williams, who previously eliminated Nebraska in the NCAA Tournament while at Texas A&M, offered high praise for this year’s Huskers.
“I really enjoy studying them — I do not like playing against them,” Williams said. “This team is better — sneaky Final Four good.”
For Nebraska, the victory was another step forward in a season defined by consistency and growth — and one the players refuse to take for granted.
“You can’t take Big Ten wins for granted,” Sam Hoiberg said. “Even though you’re not playing a team at the top of the conference, you have to take these games seriously. Every game is a must win in our minds.”
The Huskers now turn their attention westward, preparing for a pivotal late-season road trip to Los Angeles to face USC and UCLA.
“I talked to [the team] in the locker room about how excited I am to go on this road trip with them,” Fred Hoiberg said. “It’s a great bonding opportunity for our guys at the end of the year. It’s an exciting time of year — and the fact that we’re still playing for something very important is awesome.”
With March approaching and momentum building, Nebraska’s focus remains fixed on finishing strong — and proving it belongs among college basketball’s elite.