As the holidays approach, conference play creeps into the college basketball schedule, meaning many teams are facing their first tough test. And some squads have risen to the occasion, while others have fallen well below expectations.
Here are this weekend’s winners and losers.
No. 23 Nebraska entered the weekend undefeated, but many expected the Cornhuskers to falter at No. 13 Illinois. However, they ignored the talk, shooting 46% from 3-point range to upset the Fighting Illini, 83-80, on Saturday.
The shooting spree was capped by guard Jamarques Lawrence, who drained a 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left. Nebraska improves to 11-0 — its best start ever — and has won a program-record 15 straight games dating back to last season.
After a shaky first three years in Lincoln, head coach Fred Hoiberg has built the Cornhuskers into a contender in the Big Ten as Nebraska is one of the seven remaining undefeated teams.
Less than two weeks ago, Syracuse notched a top-15 victory and appeared to be back on track after a rough trip to Las Vegas. However, on Saturday, Hofstra outlasted the Orange, 70-69, for a major upset.
The Pride went 12-for-18 from beyond the arc, and Syracuse failed to contain guard Cruz Davis, who tallied 22 points and nine assists. But it was fellow guard German Plotnikov who nailed the go-ahead 3-pointer to seal the victory for Hofstra.
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