Basketball Big Ten MBB Scores and Standings (1/2)

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January 2
#2 Michigan 96, #24 USC 66
#13 Nebraska 58, #9 Michigan State 56
Oregon 64, Maryland 54
Ohio State 80, Rutgers 73

Standings
1. Nebraska (14-0, 3-0)
1. Michigan (13-0, 3-0)
3. Purdue (12-1, 2-0)
3. UCLA (10-3, 2-0)
5. Michigan State (12-2, 2-1)
5. Ohio State (10-3, 2-1)
7. Illinois (10-3, 1-1)
7. Indiana (10-3, 1-1)
7. Cockeye (11-2, 1-1)
7. Minnesota (8-5, 1-1)
7. Washington (9-4, 1-1)
7. Wisconsin (9-4, 1-1)
13. Oregon (8-6, 1-2)
13. USC (12-2, 1-2)
15. Northwestern (8-5, 0-2)
15. Penn State (9-4, 0-2)
17. Maryland (7-7, 0-3)
17. Rutgers (7-7, 0-3)

Games for Saturday - January 3
Minnesota at Northwestern (4:00 PM - BTN)
UCLA at #25 Cockeye (5:00 PM - Peacock)
#20 Illinois at Penn State (6:00 PM - BTN)
#5 Purdue at Wisconsin (7:00 PM - FOX)

Next Nebraska Game - Monday, January 5
#13 Nebraska at Ohio State (5:30 PM - FS1)

 

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Huskers Outlast No. 9 Spartans
Huskers.com

Lincoln - Rienk Mast had 19 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:50 left as No. 13 Nebraska held on for a 58-56 men's basketball win over No. 9 Michigan State on Friday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Mast drained his only three of the second half breaking a 55-all deadlock. Nebraska, which trailed 55-52, held Michigan State to one point over the final 4:30 to come back and extend its win streak to 18 games dating back to last season.

The Huskers improved to 14-0 and 3-0 in the Big Ten while the Spartans slipped to 12-2 and 2-1 in the conference. NU has now won a school-record 18 straight games dating back to last season.

Pryce Sandfort added 13 points and three three-pointers despite being strapped with foul trouble the entire game. Sandfort scored eight points in the second half but was called for his fifth foul on a Carson Cooper desperation drive with 0.7 seconds left.

Cooper, who finished with six points, missed the first free throw to send the sellout cowed of 14,841 fans into a wild frenzy. He missed the second free throw intentionally but was called for a violation, and Nebraska threw the ball into the frontcourt to kill the clock and claim the victory.

Jamarques Lawrence added 12 points for the Huskers, who stymied the Spartan offense from start to finish by forcing 19 turnovers and held MSU to a season-low point total.

Nebraska, which led by nine after a 3-pointer from Braden Frager with 9:29 remaining, before the visitors made a comeback behind Jeremy Fears Jr., who had six straight points to pull MSU with in 47-44 with 8:46 left. Frager, who had nine points, five rebounds and a career-high four steals, ended the run with another 3-pointer to give NU a 50-44 lead.

MSU then used an 11-2 run to take a 55-52 lead on a Fears jumper with 4:41 left, but that would be final field goal of the night for the visitors. Sam Hoiberg’s two free throws made it a one-point game before Mast’s free throw with 2:35 left knotted the score, setting up a dramatic finish.

Nebraska, which committed just eight miscues on the night, sank 13-of-37 threes in the victory, including four triples and 15 first-half points from Mast.

Nebraska hit just 18-of-57 shots (.351) in the game, while sinking 9-of-13 free throws. The Huskers held MSU to 17-of-50 shooting (.340) and 10-of-28 threes. The Spartans also hit 12-of-16 free throws and won the rebounding battle, 45-31.

Jaxon Kohler led MSU with 19 points, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range and 11 rebounds while Fears added 14 points and seven assists, as the Spartans saw their four-game win streak come to an end.

Nebraska will be back in action at Ohio State on Monday. Tip-off with the Buckeyes is set for 5:30 p.m. (CT) with live television coverage by FS1. Live audio will be provided by the Huskers Radio Network on Huskers.com and the Huskers App.

 

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Postgame Notes

-Nebraska improved to 14-0 on the season, extending the best start in school history.

-Nebraska has won 18 straight games dating back to last season, extending its school-record streak.

-Nebraska's win over No. 9 Michigan State was the 27th win over a top-10 team in school history and first since defeating No. 6 Wisconsin in 2023-24.

-Fred Hoiberg now has five top-10 wins at Nebraska following tonight’s game and 12 top-10 wins in his collegiate coaching career.

-Nebraska improved to 2-0 all-time in ranked vs. ranked home matchups in school history with the other one coming on March 3, 1991, when No. 15 Nebraska defeated No. 15 Kansas, 85-75.

-Nebraska moves to 11-11 in their last 22 games against ranked opponents dating back to March 1, 2022.

-Rienk Mast made six three-pointers, which is one shy of his career high seven that he made earlier this season against Winthrop. It is the third time this season he made at least five 3-pointers in a game. The three blocked shots also tied a career high set two other times, most recently in 2023 when he was at Bradley.

-Nebraska’s 58 points was a season low (previous low was 69 vs. UMES) and the first time in the 18-game win streak that NU was held under 1.00 points per possession.

-Nebraska was 0-25 under Hoiberg when scoring fewer than 60 points prior to tonight’s game.

-Michigan State was held to a season-low 56 points. The previous low was 60 vs. Duke on Dec. 6.

-Nebraska has now held 10 of its 14 opponents under 1.0 points per possession, including six of the last seven and are 49-3 when doing so over the last three-plus seasons

-Nebraska remains one of the six unbeaten teams in the country (Michigan, Arizona, Cockeye State, Vanderbilt and Miami (OH)).

-The Big Red forced 19 MSU turnovers, which is the second most they have forced in a game this season, and the most that Michigan St. has committed in a game this year.

-NU is now 50-5 when holding their opponents under 70 points over the past three-plus seasons.

 

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	1st	2nd	TOTAL
Michigan State	33	23	56
Nebraska	33	25	58

Michigan State	STATS	Nebraska
17-50 (34.0%)	FG	18-57 (31.6%)
10-28 (35.7%)	3FG	13-37 (35.1%)
12-16 (75.0%)	FT	9-13 (69.2%)
45	Rebounds	31
14	Fouls	16
12	Assists	15
19	Turnovers	8
4	Blocks	5
5	Steals	7
10	Pts in Paint	10
11	Pts off Turnovers	6
9	2nd Chance Pts	7
6	Fast Break Pts	0
3	Bench Pts	10

SCORING

SPARTANS
Jaxon Kohler - 19
Jeremy Fears Jr. - 14
Kur Teng - 12
Carson Cooper - 6
Trey Fort - 3
Coen Carr - 2
TOTAL - 56

HUSKERS
Rienk Mast - 19
Pryce Sandfort - 13
Jamarques Lawrence - 12
Braden Frager - 9
Sam Hoiberg - 4
Cale Jacobsen - 1