Nebraska fans storm court as Huskers upset No. 6 Wisconsin in overtime
Nebraska trailed by as many as 19 points to No. 6 Wisconsin on Thursday. They went on to defeat the Badgers 80-72 in overtime for the Cornhuskers’ second win over an AP Top 10 team this season.
The second the final buzzer hit, hundreds of Nebraska fans stormed the court to celebrate the victory. As fans flooded the floor inside Pinnacle Bank Arena, Huskers headman Fred Hoiberg was tasked with putting the improbable comeback into words.
“I don’t know. I have no idea,” Hoiberg said amid a sea of Nebraska fans when asked how his team pulled it off. “I think we showed a lot of resolve. I don’t know if the last couple of days of practice helped us to develop a bit of toughness — and it wasn’t looking good. Down 19 from a team that is hard to come back from but we just kept fighting. That’s what I love most about these guys.
“CJ Wilcher was unbelievable. We got some defensive stops there at the end. It was a total team effort. I just love these guys and we have to keep fighting. Now, we have to go on the road for two incredibly tough ones. But this was a huge win for the program.”
Wilcher led the team with 22 points thanks to five three-point baskets but did so in 28 minutes off the bench. Forward Juwan Gary also contributed nine points and did not start despite playing 33 minutes on the night. The bench ended with 34 total points compared to Wisconsin’s 10.
Still, the numbers weren’t always pretty. Nebraska went into the halftime locker room down 16 points and no one would have blamed a fan for beating the traffic. Instead, Nebraska completed one of the largest comebacks for the 2024 college basketball season.
Hoiberg also explained what might have flipped the switch.
“I laid into them at halftime,” Hoiberg continued. “I saw those blank looks, but our guys came out and responded. To come back against a team — Wisconsin is playing as good as anybody in the country right now.
“Greg Gard has done a phenomenal job with that team, so to find a way — AJ Storr was kicking our ass out there — to finally get some stops. The ball was moving in the second half and we just made a lot of plays.”
The party is just getting started in Lincoln as fans will flood outside of Pinnacle Bank Arena and onto the streets in and around the University of Nebraska. Next up for the Huskers is a road trip against No. 14 Illinois on Sunday.