No. 3 Michigan Knocks Off No. 5 Nebraska To Spoil Cornhuskers’ Undefeated Season
Down goes one of the last remaining unbeaten teams in the nation. The 3rd-ranked Michigan Wolverines stormed back in the second half to down the undefeated 5th-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers in a 75-72 classic in Ann Arbor.
Michigan Holds On in Frantic Final Minutes As Both Offenses Soar
In the biggest game in Nebraska program history, it took the heroic effort of Michigan’s freshman Guard Trey McKenney to put an end to the Cornhuskers’ undefeated season tonight. The Michigan native finished with 11 points off the bench, with 2 of those points giving the Wolverines a 74-72 lead heading into the final minute of the game. The Cornhuskers had one last gasp at tying the game, but a three-point attempt by Jamarques Lawrence rimmed out.
Both teams’ offenses were firing on all cylinders. Nebraska led the Wolverines 50-48 before both defenses tightened in the second half. The Wolverines shot 47% from the field, while only shooting 23% from three-point range. They made up for that poor three-point shooting by knocking in 19 of their 23 free throws to pull out the win.
Despite missing key players like Braden Frager and Rienk Mast, the Cornhuskers’ offense was still able to light up the Wolverines from deep. They went 11-of-32 from beyond the arc to stay in perfect position to win.
Both injured players for the Cornhuskers were late scratches heading into tonight’s game. At the same time, Mast warmed up before the game but was unable to play as the senior was dealing with an illness. Mast’s absence was especially damaging for the Cornhuskers, as the sharpshooting forward ranks second on the team in points per game at 15 for the season.
Thankfully for Nebraska, their team’s leading scorer, Pryce Sandfort, was playing, and he almost led the Cornhuskers to victory in a high-scoring but inefficient performance. Sandfort had 20 points on 6-of-18 shooting, while also adding 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
The biggest deciding factors in the win for the Wolverines were the play of both Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr., who helped lift Michigan to victory. Johnson Jr. had a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Mara dropped 10 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in the win.
Big Ten Now Up For Grabs
Following tonight’s game, it is now officially open to anyone to win this year’s Big Ten regular-season title. Five teams sit in a position to take the conference’s crown. The win by Michigan and loss by Nebraska puts both teams in a three-way tie with No. 7 Michigan State for first place in the conference at 9-1, with red-hot No. 9 Illinois on their heels at an 8-1 record.
Much like the Big 12 conference, the Big Ten is loaded with national championship-contending teams, with no true favorites yet to emerge despite the plethora of ranked squads littering the standings.
What’s Next For Michigan and Nebraska
Speaking of a loaded conference, the road towards the Big Ten will continue to be full of tough opponents for both teams. Michigan will have a quick turnaround following this game, as they’ll be off to East Lansing for a Friday date with their rival, Michigan State, in another top 10 matchup that will certainly shake up the Big Ten standings.
The Cornhuskers will have a little bit of time to regroup before facing off against No. 9 Illinois in what should be another fantastic game on Sunday.
