Nebrasketball Handles Rutgers on Senior Day
Nebraska men's basketball got a win in the team's final regular-season home game Sunday.
NU (21-9, 11-8 Big Ten) topped Rutgers (15-14, 7-11 Big Ten) 67-56. The win keeps the Big Red in contention for a double-bye in the Big Ten Conference Tournament March 13-17.
The Huskers celebrated four players for Senior Day ahead of the game: Josiah Allick, Jarron Coleman, Keisei Tominaga and CJ Wilcher. Wilcher is the only one of the quartet with eligibility remaining to come back next season.
Tominaga came up big after Rutgers cut Nebraska's lead to six points with 7:05 remaining. The guard from Japan scored seven points in a row -- including a four-point play -- to give the Huskers a comfortable 61-48 cushion with 5:59 minutes left.
Nebraska shot 40.7%, including 9-of-27 from 3. NU added 14-of-20 free throws.
Rutgers managed 32.8% shooting, going 4-of-25 from deep and 10-of-19 at the line.
Tominaga led all scorers with 18 points. Juwan Gary was next with 15 points, adding 11 rebounds for the double-double. Allick also notched a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Former NBA great Kevin McHale attended the game and addressed the team afterward:
Nebraska closes the regular season next Sunday at Michigan.
Postgame notes
- Nebraska improves to 21-9 on the season, and the 21 wins ties for sixth on NU single-season win chart.
- Nebraska improves to 18-1 at home, including a perfect 10-0 in Big Ten play. The 18 wins sets a school record for most home wins and the 18-1 mark is the Huskers' best home mark since going 11-0 in 1965-66.
- Nebraska was a perfect 10-0 at home in Big Ten play, it marks just the 11th time in school history and third since World War II that Nebraska posted a perfect home conference mark (others were 2017-18 and 1965-66)
- Nebraska held Rutgers to 32.8 percent shooting, its lowest since shooting 32.3 percent against Indiana on Jan. 9
- With 11 Big Ten wins, NU is assured of its first winning record in conference play since 2017-18. The 11 wins ties for the fourth-most conference wins in a season in school history
- Nebraska has held its last nine opponents under 43 percent shooting, dating back to Jan. 27
- Josiah Allick posted his first double-double of the season and 11th of his career with 10 points and a season-high 12 rebounds. Allick, who reached double figures for the ninth time this year, went over 1,200 points in his career.
- Juwan Gary joined Allick with a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds while adding three blocked shots. Gary now has five double-doubles for the season and eight in his career.
- It marks the second time this season Nebraska had multiple double-doubles in a game (also vs Oregon State on Nov. 18).
- Keisei Tominaga led NU with 18 points, including 12 in the second half. It was the 10th time he paced NU in scoring this season. He now is 18 points away from reaching 1,000 career points at Nebraska.
- Nebraska won the rebounding battle 44-40 and is 14-0 this season when out-rebounding its opponents.
