In a game where neither team hit many shots at all, Nebraska men’s basketball came up one shot short.
No. 15 Michigan held off the Huskers, 49-46, Monday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena. A Nebraska win would’ve put NU on the fast track to an NCAA at-large bid. Instead, the Huskers enter the final three games of the regular season with a slim margin for error to qualify for a second straight trip to the Big Dance.
This game was more befitting a wrestling match in a mud than a dance. The Wolverines hit just 29.5 percent of their shots from the field, just 5-for-27 from behind the arc. The Cornhuskers shot just 25.8 percent from the field and just 6-for-28 from three-point range.
But, in the end, Michigan had one more shot than Nebraska. The Huskers last led with 6:32 remaining in regulation, 39-37. But a three-pointer by Danny Wolf followed by a two-point basket from Wolf and a three-pointer from L.J. Cason rebuilt the Michigan lead to 45-39 with 4:25 to go. Nebraska was able to cut the deficit to one point twice in that final stretch, but could never draw even or push ahead.
Brice Williams led the Huskers with 26 points on 9-for-21 shooting. But no other Nebraska player scored more than six points and the rest of the NU roster shot 7-for-41, a dismal 17 percent. Berke Buyuktuncel, back after missing two games with an ankle injury, was a frigid 0-for-10. Roddy Gayle, Jr., led Michigan with 12 points. Tre Donaldson tallied 11 and Danny Wolf added 10.
Now Nebraska has just three games to go in the regular season. Most projections say the Huskers must win at least two of the last three to have a strong chance at an at-large bid to the NCAAs. The crucial stretch run begins Saturday at 1 p.m. against Minnesota. Pregame coverage begins at noon on KLIN.