Huskers Remain Unbeaten With 85-72 Win
Huskers.com
Reink Mast’s 19 points and nine rebounds led five Huskers in double figures, as Nebraska improved to 7-0 with an 85-72 victory over Cal State Fullerton Sunday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Mast led a balanced attack with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range, as Nebraska improved to 7-0 for the first time since 1992-93 and the fifth time in school history.
Nebraska, which has scored 80-or-more points in each of the last four games, got 17 points from Keisei Tominaga, who hit all five of his shots from the field, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range.
Brice Williams (14), Juwan Gary (13) and Jamarques Lawrence (11) all finished in double figures, as Nebraska shot 47 percent from the field, hit a season-high 12 3-pointers and had 18 assists and just nine turnovers.
The Huskers were solid offensively in taking a 47-36 halftime lead. Nebraska shot 49 percent from the field, including 7-of-17 from 3-point range, and had six players score at least five points. Mast and Williams paced the Big Red with 11 first-half points apiece.
Nebraska used a 13-3 spurt to erase an early deficit and build a 15-8 lead after Gary’s 3-pointer. The Huskers eventually stretched the lead to 29-18 after a Lawrence 3-pointer with 10:09 left in the half before the Titans regrouped.
Max Jones kept Call State Fullerton in the game early with 19 first-half points, including 13 straight for the visitors. Later on, the Titans used a 12-3 run to pull within 34-30 after a pair of Jones free throws with 6:04 left in the half, but would get no closer, as a Tominaga three and Lawrence layup stretched the lead to 39-30.
NU eventually got the lead to 13 after two straight Mast baskets and took an 11-point lead into the break.
Nebraska got some more breathing room with a 6-0 spurt to begin the second half, as 3-pointers from Mast and Tominaga stretched the advantage to 53-36. Nebraska eventually extended the margin to 19 at 74-55 after a Tominaga basket with 4:51 left, but the visitors would make one last run.
Cal State Fullerton scored seven straight points in a 1:07 span to make it 78-67 after Jones’ fifth 3-pointer of the game with 2:26 remaining. The Titan guard led all scorers with 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting and added three assists and four steals.
Nebraska would come right back, as Williams’ 3-pointer pushed the lead to 14 and NU went 4-of-4 from the line in the final 1:06 to seal the win.
Donovan Oday added 16 points for Cal State Fullerton (2-4) while DJ Brewton added 10 points in the loss.
The Huskers return to Pinnacle Bank Arena on Sunday, Dec. 3 to take on Pickle Smoochers at 3 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised on FS1 and heard on the Huskers Radio Network. Sunday’s game is already sold out.
