‘It Was a Special Feeling Being Able to Cherish That’ After Nebraska Snaps NCAA Tournament Losing Streak

Pressure? What pressure? Nebraska came into Thursday’s first-round NCAA Tournament game against Troy carrying the extraordinary weight of history. The Huskers had never won an NCAA game in eight tries.

Nebraska returned to its old and successful habits when it ran off 20 consecutive wins to start the season. The Huskers’ defense was sticky and in the Trojans’ face. Nebraska’s distance shooting — and its shooting in general — was on target.

When it was over and fourth-seeded Nebraska walked off with a 76-47 rout over 13th-seeded Troy, the entire Huskers’ sideline was engulfed in smiles. Ear-to-ear the Huskers smiled and hugged and cheered on each other and offered thanks to raucous, red-clad crowd that turned Paycom Center in Oklahoma City into a virtual Husker home game.

Advancing in the NCAA Tournament is joyous enough. To hear coach Fred Hoiberg and his son, Sam, talk to truTV after the game, you could see that joy and excitement had extra meaning because of the streak ending.

Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Jamarques Lawrence drives to the hoop past Troy guard Cooper Campbell during the first half. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

“With about five minutes left, I think we’re up by 30, went into a timeout that’s when you start looking up at the crowd and seeing their reactions, it was a special feeling being able to kinda cherish that,” senior point guard Sam Hoiberg said in a postgame news conference.

And somewhere, the Huskers’ forefathers were smiling, too. The streak is over.

Balanced team effort

Nebraska’s contributions were spread around the lineup. Four Husker players scored in double figures and a fifth player scored nine points. Pryce Sandfort scored a game-high 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting from distance.

Balanced scoring always was Nebraska’s go-to weapon, even as Sandfort broke out and became a star. Throughout the lineup, the Huskers had players who could carry them through any individual’s cold streak.

As the Huskers’ season blossomed, so did Sandfort’s game. And on the game’s biggest stage, the NCAA Tournament, Sandfort’s shot was smooth and true. Troy couldn’t guard Sandfort, couldn’t stop him from shaking himself open, and couldn’t prevent him from that lightning-quick shot release.

Nebraska forward Pryce Sandfort dribbles past Troy forward Jerrell Bellamy. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nebraska shot 43 percent from the floor (28-of-65) and 36 percent from distance (14-of-39). And, valuable sixth man Braden Frager was only 2-of-10 from distance, and Rienk Mast was 0-for-3. That 76-47 score could have been worse.

Along with Sandfort, Nebraska’s balance was too much for Troy. The Trojans’ All-Sun Belt first-teamer Thomas Dowd scored four points and shot 1-of-11 from the floor. In March, you need your best players to step up, to maybe play over your head if necessary.

Dowd didn’t. Neither did his teammates. Nebraska didn’t allow it. Nebraska stepped up all over the lineup. The streak is over.

Huskers’ defense was effective

Troy ranked 78th in the country (out of 361 teams) in scoring with an 80.3 points per game average. Nebraska shut that down. The Huskers had 10 steals. They were in Troy passing lanes, deflecting passes and hustling to double-team shooters.

Nebraska challenged shots, not giving Troy many open looks. Troy shot 13-of-46 from the floor (28 percent) and 8-of-28 from distance (29 percent). Nebraska thrived on its strong defense.

When Nebraska’s defense clicked this season, so did the Huskers in their historic season that now sits at a school-record 27 wins against only six losses.

Pressure? What pressure?

Weaknesses turned into positives

Nebraska even held its own on the boards, a sore spot in its six losses. Nebraska outrebounded Troy, 37-33 — not a huge margin but a margin nonetheless.

Troy had nine offensive boards — another Nebraska weakness in its losses — while the Huskers grabbed 13 offensive boards.

Nebraska took care of the ball, too. The Huskers only had six turnovers. Troy had 17 turnovers.

Nebraska guard Sam Hoiberg and a throng of Husker fans celebrate Thursday's in in OKC. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The week off was therapeutic for the Huskers. They had to stew over their quarterfinal beating that Purdue handed them last Friday. They knew they were only 6-6 down the stretch. They knew that was no way to prepare for March Madness. They might have deep-down questioned themselves. What next, right?

Now, they will get only a day off before playing in the second round against either 5-seed Vanderbilt or 12-seed McNeese State on Saturday. Nebraska will have to get back to business ASAP.

Nebraska’s big win was in the NCAA Tournament, notorious for knocking off favorites. As this is being typed, 16-seed Siena holds an 11-point lead over 1-seed Duke at halftime. And 5-seed Wisconsin just lost to High Point.

If the Huskers’ bring back the same defensive formula and intensity on Saturday, you never know. The competition, presumably, will be more difficult. But these Huskers, the ones who started the season 20-0, have a chance to start a new winning streak, an NCAA Tournament one.

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