The shorthanded Huskers are the scariest team in America right now.
Nebraska men’s basketball (14-14, 7-10 Big Ten) fought through suspect officiating and a 10 minute stretch with just one made basket to emerge victorious 70-66 over Maryland (18-9, 9-7 Big Ten) in overtime. The Huskers have three-in-a-row and four of the last five games.
Tough defense pushed Nebraska to a nine point lead midway through the first half. The Terrapins put together a 10-0 run to take the lead before NU worked a lead back up to seven at the half.
Then the officiating switched and Nebraska’s tough defense was on its heals. Derrick Walker and Sam Griesel each had their fourth fouls by the 12:51 mark. At that point, Maryland was already in the bonus.
That was also in the middle of a nearly five minute scoring drought. Walker broke that with a pair of free throws. Walker’s layup a couple minutes later was the only made basket in more than 10 minutes of game play.
But Sam Hoiberg began his ascension from there. He hit a 3 to spark a 6-0 run. Walker and Grisel added buckets a couple minutes later. And Keisei Tominaga made four free throws over 18 seconds as the final minute of regulation approached.
Maryland hit a jumper with 43 seconds to go and Walker answered on the other end. Hoiberg locked down to force the miss as time expired, setting up overtime in Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Tominaga put Nebraska up with a 3 just 27 seconds into the opening frame. The Terrapins put together a 6-0 run, but Nebraska answered with a pair of Walker free throws and a Griesel layup to go up one in the final minute.
With a chance to take the lead and inbounding in front of their own bench, Maryland’s inbounds pass was stolen by Hoiberg and laid in to extend the lead. Hoiberg added two more free throws 17 seconds later and Nebraska sent Maryland home with a loss just three days after they beat No. 3 Purdue.
Nebraska shot 41.4 percent in the victory, but made just 3-of-16 3s. The Huskers also made 19-of-25 free throws.
Maryland went 33 percent from the field and 7-of-22 from deep, adding 13-of-19 free throws.
Walker scored a game-high 23 points to go with seven rebounds.
Held mostly in check, Tominaga finished with 20 points, getting to at least that mark for the fifth-straight game. Tominaga’s 118 points in a five-game span of Big Ten Conference games is the second-most by a Husker, trailing just James Palmer Jr.’s 127 back in 2018 and ahead of Terran Petteway’s 111 in 2014.
Griesel pitched in 12 points and Blaise Keita grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
But it was Hoiberg, the player, who played hero on Sunday. He finished with nine points and six rebounds, but his clutch plays and defensive play were necessary to keep Nebraska’s postseason hopes alive.
Nebraska stays home for the next two games, with Minnesota up first on Saturday.