Nebraska men’s basketball began its six-game losing streak with an overtime loss. It was only appropriate that it ended with an overtime win. The Huskers defeated No. 18 Illinois in overtime, 80-74, getting Nebraska back on track after a losing streak that had sidetracked a promising season.
Similar to the game at Iowa that started the slide, the Cornhuskers never trailed through regulation but saw the Fighting Illini erase what had been a 10-point lead with 10:20 to go in regulation. After Illinois started shooting, hitting just 9-for-32 from the field (28.1 percent) and just 3-for-18 from behind the arc in the first half, the Illini knocked down 51.7 percent of their shots from the field in the second half (15-for-29) including 7-for-16 from three-point range. But Illinois was not able to carry through the strong shooting into overtime, hitting just 2-for-12 from the field in the extra period.
Nebraska was also opportunistic, cashing in 17 Illinois turnovers for 17 points, making up for the Fighting Illini’s 58=42 rebounding advantage. Brice Williams led the Huskers in scoring with 27 points on 10-for-26 shooting. Connor Essegian tallied 14 while Juwan Gary added 13.
But it was Williams who was the driving force in the extra period. After the teams traded baskets in OT, Williams went on a personal 8-0 run while Nebraska suffocated Illinois defensively.
The Huskers will look to build on the win with a matchup Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at Oregon. Pregame coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. Sunday evening on KLIN.