Nebraska’s Cale Jacobsen (31) scores a layup over Winthrop’s Pharrell Boyogueno (4). (Courtesy: Nebraska Athletics)
Mast Drops 31 as Nebraska Moves to 7–0 With 80–73 Win Over Winthrop
LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska passed its toughest early-season exam Wednesday night, grinding out an 80–73 victory over a battle-tested Winthrop squad at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The win pushed the Huskers to 7–0, tied for their best start of the Fred Hoiberg era, behind a powerhouse performance from Reink Mast and a composed, career-best outing from Cale Jacobsen.
The Huskers needed every bit of it.
Mast delivered one of the finest games of his Nebraska career, pouring in 31 points while anchoring an undermanned frontcourt. With forward Berke Buyuktuncel unavailable, Nebraska leaned heavily on Mast’s interior scoring and calm leadership as Winthrop repeatedly attacked the offensive glass.
Head coach Fred Hoiberg praised Mast’s resilience in extended minutes.
“What Reink was able to do tonight in extended minutes… we don’t want to play him that much — we had to tonight in order to win this game,” Hoiberg said.
Mast echoed the respect Nebraska held for the Eagles coming in.
“We knew this was gonna be a really tough game,” he said. “That’s a really tough team that has a very good chance of winning their league.”
Winthrop’s physicality was apparent throughout, especially on the boards. The Eagles grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and outrebounded Nebraska by ten, testing the Huskers’ depth and resolve all night.
“[We] gave up 17 offensive rebounds to get out-rebounded by ten on our home court,” Hoiberg said. “Berke had something to do with that… we knew we’d have our hands full, especially when we found out that Berke wouldn’t be able to play tonight.”
Still, Nebraska had answers—first through Mast’s dominance, and then through the steadying play of Jacobsen, who posted a career high in points and delivered in the game’s most pressurized moments.
Hoiberg highlighted Jacobsen’s poise and all-around value.
“He came in here and earned a spot in the rotation, and a lot of times is on the floor at the end of the game because you can trust him,” he said. “He was a calming influence on us, he knows all five positions on the floor, and he’ll be a great coach when it’s all said and done.”
Jacobsen, now solidly a key piece in Nebraska’s rotation, said the performance reflected years of preparation.
“That’s what I came here for — at some point, I wanted to be a consistent contributor here,” he said. “I’m just grateful to be able to compete with these guys every single day and keep getting better.”
Jacobsen joined Mast in praising Winthrop’s postseason potential.
“That’s an NCAA Tournament team and that’s a team that’s going to beat someone in March,” he said.
Hoiberg echoed that assessment.
“I think you realize now why I had so much anxiety going into this game… this is a good win for us,” he said. “[Winthrop] has a great chance to win their league and be in the NCAA Tournament.”
Winthrop kept punching, but Nebraska made the winning plays—at the rim through Mast, and late, through Jacobsen’s steadiness—to stay unbeaten.
Seven games in, the Huskers are unblemished, battle-tested, and already showing signs that this season could be something more than routine November momentum.