Huskers power past Omaha for 75-61 victory

Fred Hoiberg challenged his team to match Omaha’s energy in a fight he expected would go a full 40 minutes.

Nebraska answered the call on Thursday night in a 75-61 win, improving to 2-0 for the first time under Hoiberg. 

C.J. Wilcher hit four 3-pointers for a game and career-high 21 points. Sam Griesel filled the stat sheet again with 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.

The Huskers went just 18-of-31 (58.1%) on free throws, including missing seven in the second half. But they made up for it by shooting 50% from the field and knocking down seven threes.

Nebraska came out firing on all cylinders to open the game. An 11-0 lead out of the gate and another 11-3 run had NU up 17 midway through the half.

The Huskers hit four of their first five 3-pointers and shot 50% from the field in the first half. But Omaha came storming back. The Mavericks answered with a 14-2 rally to cut the deficit to five with just over four minutes remaining. A late three by Wilcher helped NU take a 41-31 lead into the break. 

Omaha had one last 11-2 spurt midway through the second half to get back within 55-48. But NU closed the door on that rally with a 15-5 response. That matched its largest lead at 17 with just over three minutes to go.

Blaise Keita finished with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting with a game-high 12 rebounds. Emmanuel Bandoumel did a little of everything, posting 18 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block.

Jaeden Marshall led Omaha with 16 points. The Mavericks tied NU with 35 rebounds, including nine offensive boards for 14 second-chance points.

The level of competition picks up significantly next week. Nebraska travels to take on St. John’s on Thursday as part of the Gavitt Games. That game will tip-off at 5:30 p.m. CT and will be televised nationally on FS1.

Keita ‘set the tone’ for Nebraska’s physicality

After a quiet start to the season, Keita stepped up on both ends in his 27 minutes vs. Omaha.

He led all players in rebounding and nearly recorded a double-double. But the sophomore center also “set the tone” for the Huskers with his physicality in the paint.

Hoiberg said the 6-foot-10 transfer from Coffeyville (Kansas) C.C. was “terrific” on Thursday night. His scoring in the post got NU’s offense going early against tight perimeter defense from Omaha. He was explosive and aggressive off the bounce with his rebounds.

Derrick Walker remains out due to “healthcare reasons.” Wilhelm Breidenbach only played eight minutes and did not score a point. Juwan Gary only played six minutes in the second half after aggravating a lingering shoulder injury.

That left Keita as Nebraska’s only option at the five for most of the game. He responded with, by far, his best outing as a Husker.

“I’m really happy for him,” Hoiberg said. “Blaise is a guy that’s put in a ton of work for us. He’s very selfless – he’s not a guy that’s down there demanding and hollering for the ball… 

“He’s a screen-setter; does a lot of dirty work. He took a charge again tonight, and he’s by far the leader on our team in that category. He does a lot of little things for us.”

Led by Wilcher, NU’s shooting came alive

Nebraska’s perimeter shooting had been an issue in the two exhibitions and Monday’s opener vs. Maine.

A big part of that was Wilcher’s slow start. He had shot a combined 3-for-14 from behind the arc against Chadron State, Colorado, and Maine.

Yet Hoiberg’s confidence in the junior guard didn’t waver. The lid finally came off the basket for the former Xavier transfer on Thursday.

Wilcher hit 2-of-3 attempts in the first half and then went 2-for-4 in the second. He accounted for four of NU’s seven made 3-pointers in the win.

His 21 points topped his previous career-high of 17 last season against Auburn. He also recorded two blocked shots after only having four throughout his entire college career.

Hoiberg praised Wilcher’s determination and work ethic to fight through his early slump and step up with a critical shooting performance.

“C.J. just hit timely shot after timely shot for us…” Hoiberg said. “He’s just a machine the way he works. It was good to see that hard work pay off.”

It was all hands on deck for Nebraska

The usual suspects played key roles for Nebraska in the win, as Griesel and Bandoumel stuffed the stat sheet.

The additional efforts from Keita and Wilcher were significant, but the contributions went well beyond just them.

Freshman Denim Dawson also had a career night. He posted eight points, three rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal in 21 minutes off the bench.

Fellow freshman Jamarques Lawrence only scored one point. But Hoiberg said he made “a huge impact” with his defensive intensity during his 14 minutes on the floor.

The trio of Keisei Tominaga (19), Gary (14), and Breidenbach (9) combined for 42 points against Maine. They did not score a point and went 0-for-6 from the field vs. Omaha.

“To be able to go to the well with other guys, that’s what this team is built on,” Hoiberg said. “That’s what it’s all about. You’re not going to see the same guy lead this team in scoring on a nightly basis. 

“You have to accept that as a group, and you’ve got to be OK with it. I think that’s what this group is all about.”

They said it

“That definitely play a part. Shoot, we had a lot to prove, and I know those guys came here feeling like they had a lot to prove. It was just two Nebraska teams going at it and competing at a high level. We went on our runs, they went on their runs. They were bumping us, we were bumping them. So it was definitely felt.”

Husker guard C.J. Wilcher on the added intensity in a game between two Nebraska schools.