Down go the Cornhuskers.
No. 3 Michigan came back to beat No. 5 Nebraska on Tuesday night at home, 75-72, handing the Cornhuskers their first loss of the season and in 325 days.
The down-to-the-wire battle separated by just three points doesn’t reflect most of Tuesday’s war chapters on the Crisler Center’s hardwood. The Wolverines played catch-up for most of the contest, trailing for over 36 minutes of the Big Ten duel, attempting to water down Nebraska’s mean streak from the field.
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Even without their second-leading scorer in forward Rienk Mast, who was out with the flu, Cornhuskers’ forward Pryce Sandfort and guard Jamarques Lawrence stepped up to fend off the Wolverines’ firepower. The two combined for 30 points in the first half, while the team shot nearly 60%. Nebraska led by as many as 11 points in the first half and nine in the second.
But the Wolverines never went away, cutting the Cornhuskers’ lead to two points on three occasions in the first 13 minutes of the second half.
And with nearly two minutes left, they erased the deficit completely, tying it at 72 apiece and running side-by-side the scarlet and cream. Nebraska’s offensive flame had gone out, unable to find the bottom of the basket for over a minute by that time.
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Michigan didn’t look back after that, racing forward and taking the lead through guard Trey Mckenney’s contested driving layup nearing the one minute remaining mark and a free throw by center Aday Mara with 16 seconds left. They ended the contest on a 6-0 run, while the Cornhuskers missed their last five shot attempts, including guard Sam Hoiberg’s one-legged, last-second three at the buzzer.
Michigan basketball knocks off No. 5 Nebraska, 75-72: pic.twitter.com/taiNCrAaml
— Alejandro Zúñiga (@ByAZuniga) January 28, 2026
Forward Morez Johnson Jr. led the way in scoring and rebounding for the Wolverines with 17 and 10, respectively. Forward Yaxel Lendeborg, Mckenney and Mara finished in double figures as well.
Nebraska’s loss sets up a three-way tie for first place in the Big Ten with Michigan and No. 9 Michigan State, who play this Friday.
Lawrence Price joined NCAA.com in August 2024 as a Digital Editorial Intern. He has held numerous internships in the past few years, including ones at the Kansas City Star, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, TNT Sports and more. Additionally, he was a 2023 Oscar Pope Lift Every Voice Fellowship recipient. Price is a Spring 2024 graduate of Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism. You can follow him on Twitter @LPIII_TRES.
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