Huskers’ Comeback Effort Falls Short in Evanston

The Nebraska Cornhuskers’ road woes continued as they faced a tough setback against the Northwestern Wildcats, succumbing to an 80-68 defeat on Wednesday evening. Despite a commendable second-half fightback, the Huskers couldn’t surmount the first-half deficit, dropping their record to 16-8 overall and 6-7 in Big Ten play.

Juwan Gary led Nebraska’s charge with a team-high 15 points, finding his rhythm early and contributing 13 points before the break. However, Northwestern’s sharpshooting, particularly in the first half, saw the Wildcats build an insurmountable lead, buoyed by their prowess from beyond the arc.

Northwestern, now standing at 16-7 and 7-5 in conference matchups, saw Boo Buie explode for 17 of his game-high 22 points in the first half, setting the tone for the Wildcats. Ryan Langborg and Brooks Barnhizer also reached double figures, adding 18 and 14 points, respectively, with Barnhizer clinching a double-double with 10 rebounds.

The Wildcats’ strategy to capitalize on Nebraska’s turnovers paid dividends, converting 17 Husker turnovers into 26 points. Despite Nebraska shooting a respectable 45 percent from the field and going 18-of-22 from the charity stripe, the early deficit proved too vast to overcome.

Nebraska showed signs of life in the second half, cutting down a 17-point gap to 12 points early in the period. A concerted effort led by Brice Williams, who secured his first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Jamarques Lawrence, who contributed 12 points off the bench, briefly threatened Northwestern’s lead. Yet, every Husker rally was met with a decisive Northwestern response, preventing Nebraska from closing the gap.

The Huskers’ perseverance was evident as they managed to trim the lead to nine points on two occasions in the dying minutes of the game. Nonetheless, the Wildcats held firm, ensuring their lead remained intact until the final buzzer.

Nebraska now looks forward to returning to the friendly confines of Pinnacle Bank Arena for a Saturday showdown against the Michigan Wolverines. With the arena set to be sold out and the game televised on BTN, the Huskers aim to bounce back and reignite their campaign in front of their home crowd.

As the Huskers regroup and refocus, the lessons from Evanston will be crucial in their quest for consistency and success in the fiercely competitive Big Ten landscape.