Nebraska opens weekend with 84-72 win over New Mexico

Nebraska opened its two game weekend in Kansas City Thursday night. The Huskers opened the game red-hot allowing them to calm any charge New Mexico could muster in the 84-72 victory.

The Huskers began the game bombarding the net from the 3-point line and that trend continued throughout the game. At one point they boasted a 78% clip from deep on eleven attempts. Fred Hoiberg’s team used that electric first-half offense and a steady defense to navigate the Lobos, who were an NCAA Tournament team last season.

Here is an instant recap from Thursday night….

3-point explosion propels strong first-half

One of the biggest struggles Nebraska has encountered this season is slow offensive starts. Against the Lobos, that struggle was nowhere to be found. The Huskers opened the game on a 22-5 run aided by a plethora of scorers. Jamarques Lawrence was the earliest to find his stroke. The senior opened with eight early points to help give Nebraska a 13-4 lead at the first media timeout.

Connor Essegian gave a two-possession performance that was a sight for sore eyes. Essegian tallied six points on back-to-back possessions, first on a 3-point look he created and then on a catch-and-shoot make. The senior had only three points in the last two games combined. His shooting burst capped off the 22-5 run to begin the half.

Berke Büyüktuncel and Rienk Mast went to work in the first-half as complementary pieces to the 3-point show. Büyüktuncel had four points and three rebounds at the under-16 timeout. Mast added seven points and two assists in the half.

New Mexico began to find comfort in its offensive game plan halfway through the half. The Lobos cut the lead to 11 at one point, but a key altercation changed their tune. With two minutes left in the half, New Mexico guard Deyton Albury, who is New Mexico’s top scorer, took an unprompted swing at the back of Essegian’s head and was ejected.

Nebraska found its groove offensively following the ejection. Braden Frager, who is coming off an ankle injury that limited his minutes against Oklahoma, went 4-for-5 from long range in the first-half to post a half-high 12 points. Nebraska went into the locker room ahead 43-25.

Huskers weather Lobo’s hot second-half start

New Mexico came out of the locker room with new energy. Down 18 to begin the half, the Lobos opened on a 12-3 run. By the under-16 timeout, they had narrowed the lead to seven. Lobo forward Tomisla Buljan scored seven early points to start the half. Despite shooting exceptionally in the first-half, the Huskers went just 1-for-7 from the 3-point line in the first four minutes of the second-half. The lack of offense led coach Hoiberg to call a timeout with Nebraska up only 51-47 and 12 minutes to play.

Both teams stayed cold for a stretch in the second half. The game went seven minutes with only six made field goals. Mast and Lawrence provided a few buckets for Nebraska, but the Huskers led just 59-53 at the under-8 timeout. At that point, they were 2-for-12 from the 3-point line and had seven turnovers in the half.

The Huskers eclipsed the 60-point mark on a Pryce Sandfort layup. Sandfort scored a career-high 27 points against Oklahoma but struggled against the Lobos. Frager followed Sandfort’s basket with a layup to extend the lead to 10. The Iowa transfer made his third field goal of the game on the next possession off a screen to reach seven points.

The Lobos didn’t go away. Jake Hall, who led New Mexico in scoring, made his fifth 3-pointer with five minutes left to keep the game within single digits. However, the Huskers managed to keep the Lobos at arm’s length. They weathered a season-high turnover total thanks to Frager’s bench production. The redshirt freshman reached 20 points with two free throws at the two-minute mark, giving Nebraska a 75-61 lead that held up until the final horn.

With the win, Nebraska will play the winner of the Mississippi State/Kansas State that immediately followed. Tip-off will be at 8:30, and will be available on Peacock.

---

Never miss breaking news or another HuskerOnline article again. Click HERE to sign up for our Daily and Breaking News Newsletters!