Nebraska Basketball Shocks Big Ten: Last-Second Win Ignites Huskers’ NCAA Hopes

LINCOLN, Neb. — The red-hot Nebraska Cornhuskers men’s basketball team is rewriting the program record book and capturing national attention after knocking off No. 9 Michigan State 58-56 to stay perfect at 14-0. Saturday’s thriller at Pinnacle Bank Arena marked the Huskers’ 18th consecutive victory dating back to last season, the longest active streak in Division I and the first top-15 showdown in Lincoln in 35 years. Power-house post play and perimeter poise • 6-10 Dutch forward Rienk Mast drilled six triples, including the go-ahead dagger with 1:51 left, finishing with 19 points. • Sophomore wing Pryce Sandfort added 13, while defensive spark Sam Hoiberg delivered two late steals that ignited the sell-out crowd of 15,000. • Nebraska’s defense forced 19 Spartan turnovers and held Tom Izzo’s club to 25 percent shooting after halftime. Ranking climb and historic context Head coach Fred Hoiberg’s squad began the season unranked but has rocketed to No. 13 in the latest AP poll—the program’s highest slot since 1994. Nebraska is also the only remaining unbeaten team in the Big Ten, a league in which it has never finished higher than fourth since joining in 2011. Road test looms in Columbus The Huskers have little time to celebrate. They travel to Ohio State on Monday night looking for their first win at Value City Arena since 2018. Another victory would move Nebraska to 4-0 in conference play and strengthen a résumé that increasingly looks NCAA-Tournament-worthy—something fans in Lincoln have awaited since the school’s last appearance in 2019. Why this run feels different 1. Balanced scoring: Five Huskers average double figures, making late-game scouting a nightmare. 2. Veteran size: Mast and Charlotte transfer Dishon Jackson (7-0) anchor a front line that ranks top-25 nationally in rebound margin. 3. Perimeter maturity: Hoiberg’s switch-heavy scheme has slashed opponent three-point percentage to 29%. What’s next • At Ohio State, Jan 5, 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1 • Home vs. Indiana, Jan 10 • Huge road tilt at No. 3 Purdue, Jan 18 If Nebraska can steal two of its next three, a top-10 ranking and the inside track to the Big Ten regular-season crown suddenly become realistic goals in Lincoln—something that would have sounded unimaginable just twelve months ago.