JaMarcus Lawrence drained a three-pointer from the right wing on the final possession of the game to propel No. 23 Nebraska men’s basketball to an 83-80 victory at No. 13 Illinois. The win propelled the Cornhuskers to 11-0, setting a new school record for best start to a season, surpassing the 1977-78 team’s 10-0 start.
The win also extended Nebraska’s (2-0 Big Ten) school record winning streak to 15 games, dating back to last season’s run to the Crown Basketball Tournament. And in a week in which the Huskers took down in-state rival Creighton, then historic Big Ten power Wisconsin, then nationally ranked Illinois (8-3, 1-1 Big Ten), Nebraska signaled itself as a legitimate contender in Big Ten men’s basketball.
Pryce Sandfort propelled the Huskers in the first half, scoring 26 points before halftime en route to a career high 32 points on six-on-11 shooting from three-point range. Rienk Mast added 17 points and seven rebounds, while Lawrence capped a solid 14-point performance with his game-winning three. Jared Garcia tallied 10 in his best performance for NU. Kylan Boswell scored 20 for the Illini. Andrej Stojakovic and Keaton Wagler added 19 points each for Illinois.
Illinois took an early 4-2 lead, but then Sandfort went on a personal 11-0 run, giving Nebraska a 13-4 lead with 14:16 to go until halftime. A three-pointer by Lawrence pushed the lead to 20-8 with 11:46 remaining in the first half. The Huskers held the lead at 10 or more, with Sandfort draining a three to push to the lead to 37-24 with 4:15 to go until halftime. But then the Illini surged on a 13-0 run, erasing the 13-point lead by Nebraska and sending the game to halftime tied at 37.
Lawrence put the Huskers ahead with four straight points to begin the second half. After Illinois tied the game at 45 with 16:18 remaining, a quick 5-0 NU run gave Nebraska the advantage, 50-45, with 15:25 remaining in regulation. A 7-0 run by the Huskers pushed the lead to 61-51 with 11:40 to go. Nebraska led the rest of the second half until Tomislav Ivisic drained a three to tie it at 80 with 17 seconds remaining. The Huskers ran the clock down for the final possession, and Sam Hoiberg found Lawrence on the right wing for the three to win it.
Nebraska returns to action next Sunday, Dec. 21, as the Huskers host North Dakota at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 6 p.m. on KLIN.