Nebraska forward Rienk Mast appeared to return to full strength as led the No. 9 Cornhuskers to an 80-68 win against Rutgers Saturday in Piscataway, N.J. Mast scored 26 points on 11-for-20 shooting to pace Nebraska after missing the Jan. 27 game at Michigan with illness, then scoring just five points Sunday against Illinois as he continued to recover.
But the Huskers (21-2, 10-2 Big Ten) played their first game in six days, and the extra time off appeared to do Mast good. In addition to Mast, Pryce Sandfort scored 15, Sam Hoiberg tallied 13 and JaMarcus Lawrence notched 12. The Scarlet Knights (9-15, 2-11 Big Ten) were led by Tariq Francis’s 16 points. Kaden Powers added 14 and Darren Buchanan, Jr., contributed 10.
Rutgers hung in early, tying the game 16 with 13:17 to go until halftime. With Nebraska leading 22-20 with 9:16 to go in the half, the Huskers took control with a 8-2 run which ballooned the lead to 30-22 with 5:48 to play in the first half. An 7-0 run keyed by two Mast baskets and a Lawrence three-pointer pushed the lead to 37-24 with 2:15 to play in the half. After a Scarlet Knights three, back-to-back NU baskets sent the game to the intermission with the Huskers leading, 41-27. Rutgers trailed by at least 13 points in the first 19 minutes of the second half before the Scarlet Knights cut the lead to 10 with 33 seconds to go. Two Cale Jacobsen free throws finished the victory.
Nebraska now prepares to take on No. 12 Purdue Tuesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Pregame coverage begins at 5 p.m., with tipoff at 6 p.m. on KLIN.