Nebraska Basketball Wasted a Masterpiece from Brice Williams

Nebraska suffered a heartbreaking loss Tuesday night, falling to Ohio State 116-114 in double overtime despite a record-breaking performance from Brice Williams.

The Huskers desperately needed a win to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive, but even Williams’ historic 43-point effort wasn’t enough to escape Columbus with a victory.

Williams put on a performance for the ages, setting Nebraska’s single-game scoring record, which had stood since 1994. The senior guard hit 16 shots, including a career-high five three-pointers, and was nearly unstoppable in crunch time, scoring 20 points across the two overtime periods.

Mar 4, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Brice Williams (3) gets trapped by Ohio State Buckeyes guard Br — Nebraska's Brice Williams gets trapped by Ohio State's Sean Stewart (13) and Bruce Thornton during the second half. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

He did everything he could to deliver a win, tying the game with a free throw in regulation and knocking down a clutch jumper in the first overtime to give Nebraska a 99-95 lead. But each time the Huskers had a chance to seize control, Ohio State answered, eventually pulling ahead for good in the second overtime.

Nebraska led 103-100 with just over four minutes left in double overtime, but Ohio State responded with a 7-0 run to take command. The Huskers refused to quit, cutting the deficit to one after an Ahron Ulis three-point play. Williams added one final deep three with 3.5 seconds left to bring Nebraska within three, but a deflection on the inbounds play allowed Ohio State to seal the game at the free-throw line.

The loss could be a crushing blow to Nebraska’s NCAA Tournament chances. The Huskers are now 17-13 overall and 7-12 in Big Ten play, leaving them in a difficult spot with just one game left in the regular season. It was yet another painful defeat in a season full of them.

Feb 2, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Fred Hoiberg on the sideline during the second half against — Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg. | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Despite the loss, Williams' performance will go down as one of the greatest individual efforts in Nebraska history. His 43 points were not only a school record but also the highest single-game total by any Big Ten player this season. He was one of four Huskers to score in double figures, with Juwan Gary adding 24 points and Connor Essegian chipping in 16 off the bench.

Now, Nebraska will turn its attention to its final regular-season game against Iowa on Senior Day. The Huskers will need to make a deep run in the Big Ten Tournament to keep their postseason dreams alive, but after letting a game like this slip away, their margin for error is gone.

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