Nebraska’s Jamarques Lawrence celebrates a triple at Assembly Hall after erupting for a career-high 27 points. (Courtesy: Nebraska Athletics)
Huskers Erase 16-point Second-Half Deficit Behind Late-Game Poise at Assembly Hall
Bloomington, IND. — No. 10 Nebraska has built its season on composure, connectivity and an unshakable belief that no deficit is insurmountable. Saturday afternoon inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, the Huskers put all of it on display.
Nebraska erased a 16-point second-half hole and outscored Indiana 53–38 after halftime to secure an 83–77 road win, improving to 16–0 overall and 5–0 in Big Ten play.
Indiana controlled the opening half behind hot shooting and the energy of the home crowd, taking a 39–30 lead into the locker room. When the Hoosiers stretched that advantage to 49–33 early in the second half, Nebraska never flinched.
“We talked about it at halftime — we’ve been in this spot before,” head coach Fred Hoiberg said. “There’s just no panic with this group. Their emotions are the same, their body language doesn’t change. Eventually we loosened them up and went on a little bit of a run.”
That run was fueled by defensive pressure, transition opportunities and a much more aggressive offensive approach. Nebraska finished with 24 paint points, including 16 after halftime, and went 11-of-14 at the free-throw line in the second half.
“Just keep going,” Hoiberg said of his message when the deficit hit 16. “One possession at a time, you’re not going to get it all back at once. It started with the defense — with the deflections — and that’s what got us out in transition.”
Jamarques Lawrence led the charge, pouring in a game-high 27 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including five three-pointers. The senior guard seemed especially comfortable in Bloomington.
“Just something about the rims,” Lawrence said with a grin.
Nebraska’s comeback was gradual but relentless. A Pryce Sandfort three trimmed the margin to four at the 12:26 mark, and moments later he converted a fast-break layup to tie the game at 55. From there, the teams traded blows until Nebraska seized control with a late surge highlighted by Braden Frager’s put-back, transition layup and step-back three in a decisive two-minute stretch.
Frager finished with 11 points off the bench, while Rienk Mast added 13 points and six rebounds, serving as a steady voice during critical stoppages.
“Rienk can talk,” Hoiberg said. “There’s some timeouts where he keeps going and going, and I’ll just let him go. I’ll let him correct, I’ll let him hold a teammate accountable…then that creates dialogue, so when they’re out on the floor, it’s easier for them.”
Nebraska’s depth and willingness to take — and make — open shots proved pivotal. The Huskers knocked down 14 three-pointers and shot over 56 percent from the field in the second half.
“When the ball comes, you gotta shoot it,” Cale Jacobsen said. “It hurts our offense to pass up open looks.”
Pryce Sandfort jumped in with a laugh: “He did that still — I had to yell at him in the game to shoot it!”
Jacobsen finished, “Just have to have the confidence to knock it down.”
Jacobsen, who scored seven points, also emphasized the importance of Nebraska’s opening burst and late-game resolve in one of the league’s toughest environments.
“Giving yourself a cushion to start — if we don’t come off to a good start, all of a sudden that 16-point [deficit] could be 30 with the way that they play,” he said. “Ultimately, we’re a team that stays together. Everybody’s main goal is to win basketball games.”
And winning on the road in the Big Ten is never simple.
“We know there’s no easy game in the Big Ten,” Jacobsen added. “It took a response from us to continue to punch back — that’s what it takes on the road.”
As Nebraska walked out of Assembly Hall unbeaten and unbothered, Hoiberg made it clear that satisfaction isn’t part of the program’s vocabulary.
“You have to bounce back from the emotional wins, and you have to get over the tough, hard losses,” Hoiberg said. “I asked [the team] if they were satisfied, and to a man — they’re not.”
On a day when resilience mattered more than rhythm, Nebraska once again showed why it continues to rise.