No. 12 Nebraska men’s basketball set the school record (14) for the most conference wins in a single season with an 82-67 win over USC on Saturday afternoon inside the Galen Center.
The Husker win moved them a step closer to clinching a triple bye in the Big Ten Tournament, while the Trojans’ loss moved them a step further from an NCAA tournament birth.
Junior forward sharp shooter Pryce Sandfort led the way for the Huskers with 32 points, six rebounds and two steals. Nebraska wasn’t fazed by USC’s length and versatility, out-rebounding it 41-25 with 19 second-chance points on 18 offensive rebounds.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
Pryce Sandfort didn’t slow down
Sandfort continued his tear as a Husker with his third 30+ point game of the season. The junior from Waukee, Iowa, cashed in 5-of-10 3-pointers in his dominant performance.
The Iowa transfer wasted no time heating up from beyond the arc. Sandfort drilled his first 3-point attempt less than three minutes into the game, despite having little room to roam. He ended the half with two makes on four attempts.
He really got going when he knocked down an and-one 3-pointer in the opening minutes of the second half to put his team up by a point after the four-point play. The Huskers went on to control the pace of the game, outscoring USC 43-29 after the momentum shift.
Sandfort is now just five 3-pointers shy of tying the single-season 3-pointers record in Big Ten games, previously held by Michigan State’s Shawn Respert in 1995, when he made 80 from range.
Huskers struggle to finish at the rim early on
The Trojans’ size bothered Nebraska in the first half. The Huskers missed 12 shots inside the paint, with three shots getting blocked. They made seven shots inside, compared to USC’s eight scores at the rim. The Trojans missed just three shots in the paint.
Nebraska turned the tide in the second half, scoring 14-of-21 attempts inside the paint.
A big reason for the explosion was the absence of USC senior 6-foot-7 forward Chad Baker-Mazara, who sat the final 17 minutes of the game with an injury. The Huskers out-scored the Trojans 41-29 after Baker-Mazara left the game.
Nebraska was outscored 16-14 in the paint in the first half, but outscored the Trojans 28-16 in the second half.
Buyuktuncel was the glue guy
The junior forward from Turkey had arguably his best game since his triple-double against North Dakota on Dec. 21. Buyuktuncel had nine points, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and three steals in his 24 minutes of action. The junior had the best +/- on the team at +24.
His day kicked off strong with two points, two steals, an assist and a block all before the under-16 timeout. He provided a spark to the floor when senior guard Sam Hoiberg was forced out of the game due to foul trouble early on.
Buyuktuncel’s nine points are his most since he scored 14 points against New Hampshire on Dec. 30.
What’s next?
Nebraska will stay in Los Angeles for a Tuesday night matchup with UCLA. The Bruins are coming off a 78-73 loss at Minnesota and will look to rebound against the Huskers. The game will tip off at 10:00 CT and will be broadcast on FS1.
Alex Berry is an Assistant Sports Editor and men’s basketball beat writer at The Daily Nebraskan. Follow him on X at @aberryy13.