Nebraska finishes undefeated weekend outlasting Kansas State 86-85
Nebraska played in its second Hall of Fame Classic championship against Kansas State Friday night in Kansas City. The Huskers used a strong first-half effort by Pryce Sandfort to build a double-digit lead. Despite allowing the Wildcats to remain in the game, Fred Hoiberg’s team did enough to head back to Lincoln with a 86-85 win and an undefeated weekend
Here is a quick recap from the Huskers sixth win of the season….
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Sandfort sparks first-half surge
The Huskers opened the game on fire from beyond the arc. Sandfort ignited the offense with back-to-back 3-pointers during a crucial stretch that turned a 4-4 tie into a 14-7 advantage. Sandfort’s hot hand continued as he connected on his third triple of the half to give Nebraska a 17-7 lead at the first media timeout. The transfer finished the half with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-7 from deep.
Kansas State struggled to contain Nebraska’s offensive flow early. The Wildcats committed multiple turnovers in the opening minutes, and the Huskers capitalized. Sam Hoiberg recorded three steals and converted them into easy buckets. He finished the half with eight points on 4-of-4 shooting while dishing out three assists.
The Wildcats mounted several comeback attempts but couldn’t string together enough stops. PJ Haggerty led Kansas State’s offense with consistent scoring, totaling 12 first-half points. Abdi Bashir Jr. provided a spark off the bench with a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws, but the Wildcats’ turnovers proved costly as Nebraska built a 10 point lead
Rienk Mast and Braden Frager provided steady production for Nebraska in complementary roles. Mast tallied eight points on 3-of-6 shooting. Frager added seven points. Jamarques Lawrence capped the scoring with a pull-up 3-pointer to send Nebraska into the locker room with the 10-point advantage.
Back-and-forth half ends in Husker victory
The Wildcats opened the second half on an 11-2 run to erase Nebraska’s double-digit advantage. Bashir carried the Wildcats with three 3-pointers in the first three minutes, including the go-ahead basket that gave KSU a 46-45 lead at the 17:06 mark. Bashir finished the stretch with nine points as the Wildcats completed the comeback and grabbed their first lead since early in the opening half.
Sandfort converted a driving layup to recapture the lead before knocking down a 3-pointer off a Haggerty turnover to extend the margin back to four. NU struggled to create separation as KSU kept the game within one possession. The teams traded scores over a four-minute stretch with neither side able to build momentum. Mast’s layup at the 13-minute mark knotted the game at 56-56.
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The Huskers offense normally revolves around the 3-pointers but NU leaned on the interior game against KSU. They had more than 50 points in the paint. Nebraska also took advantage of Kansas State’s sloppy ball control. They finished with more than 20 points in the paint off of double-digit KSU turnovers.
Lawrence committed a flagrant foul with eight minutes to go to hand the Wildcats their newest lead. However, the Huskers were able to heat up thanks to a 3-pointer from Frager and Cale Jacobsen making his first two free throws of the season.
The game continued to be a back-and-forth affair with both teams trading leads. The game continued to develop in physicality with both teams in the double bonus with two minutes to play. Sandfort broke the 20-point mark with a turnaround 3-pointer to give NU a one point lead but KSU immediately responded with a three point play of their own.
With 30 seconds to go, the game was tied at 85-85. Pryce Sandfort missed a 3-pointer but Hoiberg grabbed the offensive rebound and got fouled on the put-back attempt. He made the free throw and sealed the win.
The Huskers will enjoy a few days off before welcoming Winthrop to Pinnacle Bank Arena. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT and will be available on Big Ten Network.
