Nebraska’s Berke Buyuktuncel celebrates after earning the fourth triple-double in program history. (Courtesy: Nebraska Athletics)
After Shaky Start, Nebraska Shows its Identity in Dominant Second Half
LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska basketball looked nothing like itself for the first 20 minutes Sunday night. The second half, however, was exactly the version Fred Hoiberg wants heading into Big Ten play.
No. 15 Nebraska erupted for a 54-point second half and pulled away from North Dakota for a convincing 78–55 win in front of 14,519 fans at Pinnacle Bank Arena, improving to 12–0 on the season.
After shooting just 28.1 percent from the field and 2-of-18 from three in the opening half, the Huskers flipped the script after the break. Nebraska shot 63.3 percent in the second half, assisted on 22 of its 28 made field goals overall and committed only six turnovers for the game.
“I thought our cutting was elite in the second half, and that’s who we are,” Hoiberg said. “I love the 22 assists to the six turnovers…22 assists on 28 baskets.”
North Dakota hung around early and led by as many as nine in the first half as Nebraska struggled to find rhythm offensively. The Huskers trailed 26–24 at halftime before adjustments sparked a dominant final 20 minutes.
“That first half — that’s not who we are,” Hoiberg said. “I thought with making the adjustment of having Berke more as the playmaker and putting Reink in the action helped loosen things up.”
Berke Buyuktuncel thrived in that role, finishing with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple-double – only the fourth in program history.
“One of the fans told me, ‘you need one more point and one more assist,’” Buyuktuncel said with a smile.
Nebraska’s balance showed throughout the box score. Braden Frager led the Huskers with 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Sam Hoiberg added 15 points, while Jamarques Lawrence chipped in 13. Nebraska also dominated inside, outscoring North Dakota 40–16 in the paint and winning the rebounding battle 42–30.
Frager said the message at halftime was simple.
“Fred just came in and said ‘be ourselves,’” Frager said. “And we came out ourselves in the second half.”
Despite an off night from beyond the arc — Nebraska finished just 6-of-27 from three — the Huskers leaned on ball movement, physicality and trust to create high-percentage looks.
“I feel like we all trust each other,” Frager said. “Especially on a night where we didn’t get it going from beyond the arc, we just found a way. That’s what good teams do — they find a way to win.”
Hoiberg was particularly pleased with Nebraska’s effort on the glass and its physical presence, areas he emphasized coming into the game.
“I wanted to see us improve on the glass and I thought we did that tonight,” Hoiberg said. “We wanted to do a better job playing with physicality. With Michigan State coming in here — one of the most physical teams in the country — that’s gonna be big.”
Nebraska led for more than 19 minutes overall and stretched its advantage to as many as 25 late, turning a sluggish start into another double-digit victory as the Huskers continue their unbeaten run.