Nebraska rallies past Minnesota, stays unbeaten in Big Ten play

MINNEAPOLIS — A dominant second half lifted the Nebraska Cornhuskers men's basketball to a 76-57 road win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball on Saturday.

Nebraska erased a six-point halftime deficit by outscoring Minnesota 46-21 over the final 20 minutes, improving to 20-0 overall and 9-0 in Big Ten Conference play. The victory marked the Huskers’ 24th straight win.

Nebraska’s ball movement fueled the comeback, as the Huskers recorded assists on 24 of their 29 made field goals. The 24 assists were the most by a Nebraska team in a Big Ten game. Defensively, Nebraska limited Minnesota to 40 percent shooting for the game and forced nine second-half turnovers while holding the Gophers scoreless from 3-point range after halftime.

Pryce Sandfort led all scorers with 22 points, 20 of which came in the second half. He added a game-high 10 rebounds for his second career double-double and first as a Husker. Sandfort went 7 of 12 from the field and 4 of 9 from beyond the arc after missing both first-half attempts.

Jamarques Lawrence finished with 14 points, including 12 in the second half. Sam Hoiberg scored all 14 of his points before halftime to keep Nebraska within reach and added a game-high seven assists. Berke Buyuktuncel contributed eight points and seven rebounds.

Minnesota led 36-30 at halftime after hitting nine first-half 3-pointers, but Nebraska seized control early in the second half with a 14-2 run. A 14-0 Husker surge later in the half pushed the lead to 67-48, effectively sealing the outcome.

Nebraska returns to action Tuesday night at No. 3 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball.