Huskers Rediscover Edge, Now Face Bigger Test vs. Purdue

Nebraska didn’t just need a win at Rutgers – it needed a response.

Fortunately for the fellas in Lincoln, they got one, powered by a return to physicality and a resurgent performance from Rienk Mast that now frames everything the Huskers carry into a pivotal matchup with Purdue on Tuesday.

Saturday’s 80-68 road victory in Piscataway steadied Nebraska after back-to-back losses and reinforced two emerging realities. First, this team believes adversity sharpened it. Secondly, Nebraska’s ceiling remains closely tied to Mast’s presence as an offensive engine.

Nebraska senior Rienk Mast returned to full form in Nebraska's 80-68 win over Rutgers Saturday. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

With a quick turnaround to Tuesday’s showdown against Purdue, the urgency inside Nebraska’s locker room was unmistakable.

“First and foremost, we just needed this win no matter what — no matter where we were playing,” Nebraska guard Jamarques Lawrence said after the win at Rutgers. “We just needed this win.”

That sentiment echoed throughout the postgame, not as relief, but as recalibration. Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg framed the Rutgers trip as a direct test of how Nebraska would respond to its first true adversity stretch.

Nebraska's win at Rutgers snapped a 2-game losing skid, but NU coach Fred Hoiberg said his team played well in the setbacks. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

“Those two losses, it’s not like we played terrible,” Hoiberg said. “There were some learning lessons. There were a lot of things that we needed to get better at, and we addressed those in practice, and I thought we did a good job overall.”

The Huskers delivered statistically and stylistically. Nebraska shot 46.9% from the field, went 9-of-27 from three, and knocked down all but one of its 12 free throws while controlling much of the game’s tempo. The Huskers built the largest margin of 20 points in the second half. More importantly, they won the way Hoiberg wanted — by leaning into physicality, rebounding, and defensive activity.

Nebraska outscored Rutgers 36-24 in the paint and finished with just one less rebound than a very physical Scarlet Knight team, which is a far more competitive effort on the glass than what NU showed against Illinois their last time out.

Nebraska's defense gave Rutgers fits all game Saturday, forcing 15 Scarlet Knight turnovers in the win. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The defensive edge showed up in momentum-shifting moments as well. Nebraska forced 15 Rutgers turnovers and converted them into transition opportunities and perimeter looks, even if it took a while for the Huskers to cause Rutgers fits.

“I thought our activity really did increase as the half went on,” Hoiberg said. “Live-ball turnovers are important for our offense.”

That defensive spark allowed Nebraska to settle offensively — and that’s where Mast took over.

The senior forward produced one of his most complete performances of the season, finishing with a game-high 26 points on 11-of-20 shooting, eight rebounds and five assists in just 31 minutes.

Rienk Mast returned to form Saturday, recording a game-high 26 points, pulling in 8 rebounds and dishing out five assists. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

For a team that had struggled to close games during its two-loss stretch, Mast’s rhythm became the stabilizing force.

“It was great to see Rienk get it going,” Hoiberg said. “Our offense always runs better when Rienk’s got the ball in his hands.”

Mast’s resurgence carried emotional and tactical weight. As fans were well aware, Mast had been battling illness and an inconsistent form in recent weeks, and Nebraska’s offensive flow suffered because of it. Because of that, the plan at Rutgers was intentional – establish him early, attack inside and rebuild his confidence possession by possession.

“I’ve been struggling a little bit,” Mast admitted after the team’s win over Rutgers. “I knew going in that just getting some easy ones to go in early – that was going to help with my confidence.”

When Rutgers trotted out a smaller lineup against Nebraska to start the game, NU knew they were going to Mast early. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Rutgers then trotted out smaller lineup to start the game, and it gave Nebraska an immediate opportunity. The team fed Mast early and often, and that approach defined the opening half. Nebraska jumped to a 41-27 lead by halftime and never relinquished control.

The impact extended beyond scoring. Mast’s decision-making helped unlock the team’s preferred spacing, and that allowed for cutters and transition chances. When Mast plays under control, Hoiberg believes the Huskers become far more difficult to guard.

“I didn’t think he got sped up,” Hoiberg said of Mast not pressing it. “I just thought he played the right way. He didn’t force the issue at all.”

Jamarques Lawrence said the team was glad to have Rienk Mast back to full form, saying it opened up the offense again. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

“It was great to see Rienk have a great game back, get out of that slump,” Jamarques Lawrence added.

The performance came at a crucial moment in Nebraska’s season arc. Mast even acknowledged the pressure surrounding the team’s recent stretch.

“You’ve got to win this one to kind of get back on track,” Mast said. “We’ve played ourselves into a position where you have a lot of must-win games. We’re going to be playing some more of those type of games.”

That reality doesn’t fade with one win. Instead, it intensifies starting with Purdue on Tuesday. Hoiberg made clear Saturday’s victory can’t linger emotionally for his team. The upcoming matchup with the Boilermakers presents a drastically different challenge. Rutgers tested Nebraska’s toughness and interior scoring. Purdue, with its layered sets and offensive discipline, will test Nebraska’s communication and defensive patience.

Purdue is the next team to visit Lincoln, hoping to leave with the second-straight road win following Illinois' victory. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For Nebraska, the key question isn’t whether it can respond after adversity — it just did. The question is whether it can sustain the formula for the rest of the regular season, and can they carry it into what has the chance to be a historical postseason run?

The blueprint starts with physicality and an interior presence through Mast. From there, it’s up to ball movement and pace through Lawrence and the other guards.

“We’ve experienced adversity – it’s really snapping to reality, get back to what we’re doing,” Lawrence said. “Every home game is do or die for us now.”

The 'winning recipe' returned for Nebraska Saturday, and they're hoping it will allow them to ride it into the postseason. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Nebraska’s statistical profile backs the confidence that the team’s experience not only has been a main driver to their success to this point of the season, but that they’ll be able to ride that experience in the postseason when the true do or die games show up.

NU’s next game against Purdue represents a step up in the precision and consistency needed to stay in the win column. Hoiberg’s comments hinted at a larger, season-long balancing act. Even while navigating February matchups, he’s thinking about retention, continuity and how the program keeps its core intact.

“It’s all about getting the right people in your program,” Hoiberg said. “Retention is very important. We’ve got some key pieces that certainly we’re going to have to get back.”

Fred Hoiberg is thrilled with his current roster make-up, but he knows it will take a lot of work this offseason to keep it. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Mast sits at the center of that equation now and for the rest of this season. When he’s engaged, Nebraska’s offense flows through structure rather than improvisation, and as the Huskers prepare for Purdue, the focus shifts from a single bounce-back to returning to a sustained identity.

Can Nebraska carry the defensive activity that produced 10 steals and constant deflections in Piscataway? Can it keep establishing Mast early against a more physical interior defense?
Can it maintain pace without forcing shots?

Those answers will shape not just Tuesday night, but the rest of the Big Ten run. Hoiberg believes the Rutgers win showed the formula is within reach.

“I thought we did a good job early, then with about 10 minutes left I thought we did a really good job of finally getting some stops,” he said.

Nebraska was able to stifle Rutgers, but is the effort repeatable as they get ready for a tough match-up against Purdue? | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Stops turned into rhythm. Rhythm turned into confidence. Confidence turned into a road win.

Now comes the harder part — proving it wasn’t just a response, but a resounding statement that the team that went 20-0 to start the year is back. Nebraska left Piscataway steadied, but not satisfied. The focus inside the locker room is already forward.

Purdue is next, and Mast even referenced wanting to look at the game plan for the Boilermakers on the team plane coming back from New Jersey. For a team that believes it just rediscovered itself, the challenge isn’t bouncing back anymore – it’s sustaining.

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