Dominant Second Half Moves Huskers to 20-0

The Nebraska men's basketball team used a dominant second-half performance to erase a six-point halftime deficit and cruise to a 76-57 victory Saturday at Minnesota.

The Huskers out-scored the Gophers by 25 in the second half to remain unbeaten on the season. With its 24th consecutive victory, Nebraska improved to 20-0 on the season and remained in first place with a 9-0 record in Big Ten Conference play.

The Huskers made 29 field goals on Saturday with assists on 24 of those 29 baskets. The 24 assists were the most by any Nebraska team in a Big Ten Conference game. As impressive as the offense was, it was the second-half defensive effort that helped NU overcome a halftime deficit for the fifth time this season.

Nebraska's defense held Minnesota to 21 points in the second half, as the Gophers committed nine turnovers and were 0-of-11 from the 3-point line. On the game, Nebraska limited Minnesota to 40 percent from the field.

Individually, Pryce Sandfort scored 20 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, going 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-9 from the 3-point line in the final 20 minutes after missing both of his first-half shots. Sandfort also had a game-high 10 rebounds. He posted his second career double-double and first as a Husker, while scoring 20 or more points for the fourth straight game.

Jamarques Lawrence added 14 points, including 12 in the second half. Sam Hoiberg helped keep the Huskers close in the first half. Hoiberg scored all 14 of his points in the first half, when he made six of his eight shots, including a pair of 3-pointers. Hoiberg also finished with a game-high seven assists. Berke Buyuktuncel added eight points and seven rebounds

In the first half, the Huskers got 14 points from Hoiberg, but Minnesota hit nine 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes, including four from Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, en route to building a 36-30 halftime lead.

Nebraska got off to a quick start, hitting seven of its first 12 shots to build an 18-12 lead on a Rienk Mast basket with 12:21 left in the half. The Huskers led 22-18 after a Cale Jacobsen basket, but 3-pointers from Kai Shinholster and Crocker-Johnson gave the Gophers their first lead with 4:52 left in the half. 

In all, the Gophers hit six of nine 3-point attempts over of the final 6:10 of the half. Minnesota led 33-26 before baskets from Lawrence and Hoiberg made it a 3-point game, but Bobby Durkin’s 3-pointer with :40 left in the half pushed the lead back to six.

Durkin and Crocker-Johnson had 12 points apiece in the first half for the Golden Gophers.

Nebraska trailed 40-32 with 17:32 left before a Jacobsen layup and five straight points from Sandfort pulled the Huskers within 40-39 with 15:56 remaining. Nebraska was down 42-39 before running off seven straight points to take a 46-42 lead after a Lawrence jumper at the 11:55 mark to cap a 14-2 Husker spurt.

The Huskers, who outscored the Gophers 23-8 in the first 10 minutes of the second half, pushed the lead to 53-44 after a Lawrence 3-pointer and Buyuktuncel basket to force a Minnesota timeout.

The Gophers scored the first four points out of the timeout to trim the Husker lead to five, but Nebraska put hte game away with a 14-0 run over the next three minutes. Sandfort hit a trio of 3-pointers during the run. Mast capped the run with a pair of free throws that put Nebraska ahead 67-48 with 5:51 remaining.

Minnesota never got closer than 14 the rest of the way, and the victory was punctuated by a 3-pointer with 24 seconds remaining by Minnesota native Kendall Blue for the game's final points.

The Huskers return to action Tuesday night, as they travel to No. 3 Michigan. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be carried on Peacock and broadcast on the Husker Sports Network.