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No. 10 Nebrasketball Holds Off Ohio State's Challenge in Columbus

The Huskers improve to 15-0 with a 72-69 road win over the Buckeyes.
Kaleb Henry|
Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Rienk Mast goes to the basket as Ohio State Buckeyes center Christoph Tilly defends.
Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Rienk Mast goes to the basket as Ohio State Buckeyes center Christoph Tilly defends. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

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Nebraska CornhuskersOhio State Buckeyes

Nebraska men's basketball was good early and good late on Monday in Columbus.

No. 10 Nebraska held off the challenge from Ohio State, 72-69. The Huskers improve to 15-0 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten Conference, while the Buckeyes fall to 10-4 and 2-2.

The last time Nebraska was 4-0 in conference play was during the 1975-76 season.

Nebraska dominated the early going, jumping out to a 10-1 lead. The Big Red would extend that lead to as many as 14 points midway through the first half.

But the home side didn't go away easily. The Buckeyes cut the deficit to single digits by halftime, erasing it completely by the midway point of the second half.

After a couple more ties and lead exchanges, Nebraska went on a run to take control. Rianke Mast made a pair of free throws before Braden Frager completed an and-1.

Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Braden Frager drives to the basket as Ohio State Buckeyes forward Amare Bynum defends.
Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Braden Frager drives to the basket as Ohio State Buckeyes forward Amare Bynum defends. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Ohio State, again, refused to be put away without a fight. OSU chipped into the lead with a three-pointer to spark a 7-1 run. After another Frager and-1, the Buckeyes got a pair of baskets with a Nebraska answer, closing the difference to one point.

Jamarques Lawrence was fouled with nine seconds left, making both free throws. On the final chance for Ohio State, Christoph Tilly's three-pointer went long and Cale Jacobsen grabbed the rebound, getting it out quickly to Sam Hoiberg to run out the clock.

"(Made) just enough plays there at the end," Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg told the television broadcast after the game. "We missed a couple free throws, but good teams find a way to win these games. We've won a couple of these one-possession games now. To find a way to win a couple on the road has been huge for our program."

Nebraska shot 43.9% for the game, making 8-of-29 three pointers. Ohio State knocked down 45.6% of its shots, including 9-of-26 from deep.

After getting dominated on the glass in the win Friday over then-No. 9 Michigan State, Nebraska was the aggressor Monday. The Huskers outrebounded the Buckeyes 38-29, grabbing twice as many offensive boards (8-4).

Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Rienk Mast
Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Rienk Mast reacts to a play during the first half. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Six Huskers scored at least eight points in the game, with Frager leading the charge at 15 points. He was followed by the 12 points for Rienk Mast, 11 each for Sandfort and Lawrence, and eight each for Hoiberg and Berke Buyuktuncel.

Next for Nebraska is another road game, at Indiana on Saturday. Tip in Bloomington is set for 11 a.m. CST. The game will be televised on Big Ten Network.

Have a question or comment for Kaleb? Send an email to kalebhenry.huskermax@gmail.com.

Nebraska Men's Basketball 2025-26 Schedule

  • Oct. 18 Nebraska 90, BYU 89
  • Oct. 27 Nebraska 91, Midland 50
  • Nov. 3 Nebraska 86, West Georgia 53
  • Nov. 8 Nebraska 96, Florida International 66
  • Nov. 11 Nebarska 69, Maryland-Eastern Shore 50
  • Nov. 15 Nebraska 105, Oklahoma 99 (Sanford Pentagon)
  • Nov. 20 Nebraska 84, New Mexico 72 (Hall of Fame Classic)
  • Nov. 21 Nebraska 86, Kansas State 85 (Hall of Fame Classic)
  • Nov. 25 Nebraska 80, Winthrop 73
  • Nov. 29 Nebraska 72, South Carolina Upstate 63
  • Dec. 7 Nebraska 71, Creighton 50
  • Dec. 10 Nebraska 90, Wisconsin 60
  • Dec. 13 Nebraska 83, Illinois 80
  • Dec. 21 Nebraska 78, North Dakota 55
  • Dec. 30 Nebraska 86, New Hampshire 55
  • Jan. 2 Nebraska 58, Michigan State 56
  • Jan. 5 Nebraska 72, Ohio State 69
  • Jan. 10 Indiana 11 a.m. BTN
  • Jan. 13 Oregon 8 p.m. BTN
  • Jan. 17 Northwestern 3 p.m. BTN
  • Jan. 21 Washington 8 p.m. BTN
  • Jan. 24 Minnesota 11 a.m. FS1
  • Jan. 27 Michigan 6 p.m. Peacock
  • Feb. 1 Illinois 3 p.m. FS1
  • Feb. 7 Rutgers 11 a.m. BTN
  • Feb. 10 Purdue 6 p.m. FS1
  • Feb. 14 Northwestern Noon BTN
  • Feb. 17 Iowa 8 p.m. BTN
  • Feb. 21 Penn State 1 p.m. BTN
  • Feb. 25 Maryland 6 p.m. BTN
  • Feb. 28 USC 3 p.m. BTN
  • March 3 UCLA 10 p.m. FS1
  • March 8 Iowa 4 p.m. FOX
  • March 10-15 Big Ten Tournament in Chicago

Home games are bolded. All times central.

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Kaleb Henry
KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

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