Nebraska’s Cale Jacobsen (31) shoots over Northwestern’s Tre Singleton (8) in the second half. (Courtesy: Nebraska Athletics)
Defense, second-chance points and a renewed sense of joy fuel Huskers’ 19-point home victory
No. 7 Nebraska used a dominant second half and a relentless effort on the glass to pull away from Northwestern for a 68-49 victory Saturday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Nebraska (22-3, 11-3 Big Ten) trailed for stretches of a tightly contested first half before taking a 28-27 lead into the break. The Huskers then erupted for 40 second-half points, shooting 58.3 percent (14-of-24) after halftime while holding Northwestern (10-16, 2-13) to just 34.8 percent (8-of-23) over the final 20 minutes.
“We let their pressure and defense really dictate what we were doing early,” Sam Hoiberg said. “We weren’t getting into the flow of our offense and got stagnant.”
That stagnation showed in the first-half numbers, as Nebraska shot just 34.5 percent (10-of-29) before the break. But the Huskers steadied themselves defensively and on the boards, finishing with a 40-24 rebounding advantage, including 13 offensive rebounds that led to 17 second-chance points.
“This is two games in a row now where we’ve had double-digit turnovers,” Coach Fred Hoiberg said after Nebraska committed 18. “We cleaned up the glass, which was great … we got 17 second-chance points, which was huge on a night where the shots weren’t falling. We just kept after it, that’s the thing I’m [most] proud of for the guys.”
Pryce Sandfort delivered a standout performance, pouring in 29 points on 10-of-21 shooting, including 6-of-13 from three-point range. He added six rebounds and was instrumental in Nebraska’s offensive surge, scoring at all three levels as the Huskers created separation midway through the second half.
Cale Jacobsen provided a major lift off the bench, scoring 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and knocking down 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. His back-to-back second-half threes helped stretch a one-possession game into a multi-possession cushion.
“It’s five shots and this week, four of them went in,” Jacobsen said. “I don’t feel any different — the shot feels good, and I’m gonna keep shooting it when I’m open.”
Sam Hoiberg added 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, along with seven rebounds, five assists and four steals in 37 minutes. His activity on both ends helped Nebraska generate key defensive stops and transition opportunities during a decisive stretch that turned a 38-35 deficit into a double-digit lead.
Defensively, Nebraska focused its game plan on containing Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli, limiting the nation’s leading scorer to 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting. The Wildcats shot just 40 percent (20-of-50) overall and 20 percent (3-of-15) from three-point range.
“He’s a load, being able to score it all over the court [while being the] leading scorer in the country,” Fred Hoiberg said. “The biggest thing we wanted to do is try to make it difficult for him, knowing he’s going to make some tough ones.”
Nebraska’s defensive pressure forced 16 Northwestern turnovers, though the Huskers managed just 10 points off those miscues. Instead, it was control of the paint and persistence on the glass that defined the afternoon. Both teams scored 26 points in the paint, but Nebraska’s rebounding edge prevented Northwestern from sustaining runs.
Sam Hoiberg said the team’s composure reflected growth from earlier in the season.
“At times this year, you look at the Rutgers game — we got up 19 early in the second half. We got a little too excited and were talking about winning by 30, and not winning the next possession,” he said. “We keep learning every single game how to handle those situations.”
The Huskers emphasized mindset as much as execution during the week of preparation.
“We really talked about playing with joy — we’re almost so businesslike that we haven’t been enjoying this ride,” Sam Hoiberg said. “That was one thing my dad was emphasizing this week. I thought today was a game we played with as much joy as we have in a while, and that leads to good things.”
Fred Hoiberg saw evidence of that shift after the final horn.
“We beat Rutgers on the road last week by double digits — I walked in the locker room and everyone was staring at the floor,” he said. “I told them you have to have some joy through this process. When they were all in [the locker room], I walked in and they were all celebrating in there. I loved it.”
Northwestern coach Chris Collins praised Nebraska’s veteran presence after facing the Huskers for the second time this season.
“Fred does such a great job, and the veteran leadership of this group is so impressive,” Collins said. “I hate competing against them and we’re trying like heck to beat them, but it’s really one of my favorite teams to watch. It’s been fun to watch this group this year.”
With the win, Nebraska secured its 22nd victory of the season and maintained its place near the top of the Big Ten standings. The Huskers now turn their focus to a road matchup at Iowa.
“Same as every game — just another road game,” Sandfort said. “Got to be locked in.”
Saturday’s performance underscored Nebraska’s formula: defend, rebound and remain poised. When the shots began to fall in the second half, the result was a decisive 19-point victory.