Nebraska men’s basketball has moved into the finals of the inaugural College Basketball Crown tournament in Las Vegas after defeating Boise State in the semifinals, 79-69, Saturday. The Huskers will take on UCF, which defeated Villanova, 104-98 in overtime.
The Cornhuskers led most of the game, building a 39-33 lead at half and gradually pulling away from the Broncos. The lead grew to 15 with 4:48 to go and Nebraska held off Boise State to advance to the Crown finals. The Huskers outshot the Broncos from beyond the arc, 63 percent to 33 percent. Nebraska made 12 three-pointers to nine threes by BSU. The Huskers also outrebounded Boise State, 38-31.
Juwan Gary led Nebraska with 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting, including a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the arc. Brice Williams added 14 points, five rebounds and six assists, while Sam Hoiberg tallied 10 points.
The Huskers now have a chance to win the second postseason tournament in school history, joining the 1996 NIT. Nebraska will take on UCF Sunday at 4:30 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 3:30 p.m. on KLIN.