Nebraska men’s basketball used tough work down low and on the glass to defeat Oregon State, 78-66, and capture the Diamond Head Classic championship Wednesday in Honolulu, Hawaii. The victory closed out a 3-0 week on the islands for the Huskers (10-2) and sent Nebraska into its final nonconference game with a four-game winning streak. The victory also marked NU’s first championship in a multi-team tournament since the 2000 San Juan Shootout.
Brice Williams again led the Cornhuskers in scoring with 25 points on 9-for-13 shooting. Williams earned tournament MVP honors for his three games in Hawaii, in which he scored a total of 66 points. Berke Buyuktuncel turned in one of his best games as a Husker with 16 points and six rebounds and Juwan Gary chipped in 14.
Buyuktuncel and Gary were part of Nebraska’s edge in paint scoring, as NU outscored the Beavers (10-3) in the free-throw lane, 32-20. Williams also led the Huskers in rebounding with seven, as Nebraska outboarded OSU, 31-24. The Huskers also had a 10-point edge in second-chance points over Oregon State, 14-4.
The Beavers led, 22-18, with eight minutes to go in the first half, but Nebraska seized control of the game with an 8-0 run in the following four minutes. A Buyuktuncel basket late in the first half snapped a 32-32 tie and sent the Huskers to the locker room with a two-point lead. Oregon State scored the first five points of the second half to build a 37-34 lead in the early minutes of the second half, but Nebraska responded and the game remained tight as OSU took a 51-50 lead with 11 minutes remaining in regulation.
But after a three-point play on a layup and a free throw by Andrew Morgan on the next possession, Nebraska never again trailed in the game. Isaiah Sy made a basket for the Beavers to tie the game at 53 on the next possession, but a personal 5-0 run by Buyuktuncel put the Huskers ahead for good.
Nebraska now returns to the mainland for one more tuneup before jumping into Big Ten play. The Huskers will face Southern (5-7) Monday at 8 p.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Pregame coverage begins at 7 p.m. on KLIN.