Nebraska’s Sam Hoiberg (1) scores against UMES on Tuesday night (Courtesy: Nebraska Athletics)
Nebraska Pushes Past UMES 69–50, Eyes Bigger Test Ahead
LINCOLN, Neb. — The shots didn’t fall, but Nebraska didn’t need them to. Behind another gritty defensive effort and steady leadership from senior guard Sam Hoiberg, the Huskers took care of business Tuesday night, defeating Maryland Eastern Shore 69–50 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
It wasn’t the smooth offensive showing Nebraska displayed in its season opener. The Huskers shot just 39% from the field and a season-low 19% from three, leaving plenty of points on the floor. But their defense never wavered — forcing 16 turnovers, contesting nearly every shot, and holding the Hawks to just 31% shooting.
“Sometimes, in games like this, you think you didn’t play well when the ball doesn’t go in the basket,” head coach Fred Hoiberg said. “And you look back and say, ‘hell, we’ll take those looks every day.’”
Sam Hoiberg set the tone with his usual hustle plays — diving for loose balls, deflecting passes, and knocking down timely shots. He finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals, embodying the effort-first identity Nebraska has embraced early this season.
“I always want to bring great energy — that’s been my thing my entire career,” the senior guard said. “I’ve never been a big ‘fill up the stat sheet’ guy, especially with points — but I’ve always known I’m capable of it. My main thing is to try to affect winning and I think I did that tonight.”
Despite the comfortable margin, Fred Hoiberg wasn’t pleased with how the game ended. Nebraska allowed UMES to trim the deficit late, and the head coach made sure to address it postgame.
“The way that game ended, I just didn’t like it,” he said. “It’s unacceptable for this group. We talked about it in the locker room after the game — you have to have a killer mentality. In today’s climate, every point matters.”
That mentality will be tested soon. Nebraska heads to Sioux Falls next for a neutral-site matchup against Oklahoma — a major step up in competition and a potential early résumé builder.
“This is when the season really starts,” Sam Hoiberg said. “When you talk about wanting to play in March, these are the games you wanna get. The possibility to get Quad 1 wins early on is huge.”
Nebraska and Oklahoma tip off Saturday afternoon at the Sanford Pentagon, where the Huskers will look to stay unbeaten and prove their defense can travel against a Power Five opponent.