Nebraska’s Sam Hoiberg (1) goes for a steal against Purdue’s Braden Smith (3). (Courtesy: Nebraska Athletics)
Early deficit and rebounding issues prove too much for furious Nebraska comeback
LINCOLN, Neb. — A disastrous opening stretch and a night-long battle on the glass ultimately cost No. 9 Nebraska in an 80–77 overtime loss to No. 13 Purdue on Monday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
The Huskers dug themselves into an immediate hole, falling behind 14–1 in the opening three minutes and trailing by double digits before the first media timeout. That early deficit lingered even as Nebraska clawed back to force overtime.
“The message to our guys was we lost that game in the first three minutes,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said. “You dig yourself a 14-1 deficit and we’re down double digits before the first media. It’s hard to climb out of a hole against a team like that, that’s got that type of experience.”
Nebraska responded with resilience, particularly after halftime. The Huskers shot 51.7 percent from the field in the second half and outscored Purdue 44–28 to erase a 22-point second-half deficit and send the game to overtime. Rienk Mast led Nebraska with 18 points and seven assists, while Jamarques Lawrence added 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Pryce Sandfort chipped in 15 points, and Sam Hoiberg added eight points and five assists.
Still, the extra possessions Purdue generated proved decisive. The Boilermakers finished with 21 offensive rebounds compared to Nebraska’s six, repeatedly extending possessions and limiting the Huskers’ ability to complete the comeback.
“The bottom line — when you give them 21 offensive rebounds and you turn the ball over 14 times…that’s the game,” Hoiberg said. “When you give a team that many extra bullets, it’s hard to come out on top.”
Oscar Cluff was at the center of Purdue’s rebounding advantage, collecting 14 rebounds — 10 on the offensive end — to go along with 12 points. Hoiberg pointed to physicality as the key issue inside.
“You’ve got to make first contact against guys when you’re giving up size like that,” Hoiberg said. “We’ve played against bigger opponents and we haven’t had anything close to this happen to us this year. It’s going to be a good learning opportunity for our team.”
Mast echoed that sentiment, placing the responsibility on himself and Nebraska’s frontcourt.
“It’s very frustrating,” Mast said. “I beat myself up for allowing them to get so many. As a big man, that’s my responsibility to not let them get those. I know I gotta be better and more physical to not allow it.”
Purdue capitalized on those second chances to survive Nebraska’s surge. The Boilermakers held the Huskers to nine points in overtime, while making timely plays down the stretch to seal the win.
Purdue coach Matt Painter emphasized just how critical the offensive rebounding margin was in such a tight game.
“It was huge,” Painter said. “We had 21 offensive rebounds, they had six — it’s a big difference in the game. When you have 20 more possessions than the other team, it’s kind of amazing that it’s a one-possession game.”
Hoiberg credited his team for its fight and execution during the comeback but stressed that consistency remains the difference in Big Ten play.
“I give our guys credit — they found a way to dig in and battle back, the execution was on point,” Hoiberg said. “But you’ve got to do it for 40 minutes. In this league, if you want to win and win consistently, it can’t be a 20-minute game.”
Nebraska dropped to 21–3 overall and 10–3 in Big Ten play, left to reflect on a missed opportunity that hinged on the opening minutes and the battle for the boards.