Nebrasketball: Nebraska Stuns Ohio State On The Road 78 to 70

It’s not easy being a Nebrasketball fan. Well, at least not in the past 20 or so years. Give or take a few decent seasons here and there. The joy of success has been fleeting at best for a majority of the century.

Most dedication from the fanbase has been met with more support than payoff to be honest. This year is no exception. The Huskers are on their third season with a single digit win column next to a double digit losing one.

This season there has been more ups than downs. A lot more downs. For most of it we were living off of a pre season win against Colorado. Remember that? Back when we thought they were going to be good too?

Like the past seasons, the payoff during the season has not lived up to the hype that ushered it in.

Nothing comes easy for Nebrasketball. As a fan, we are a hearty bunch. Not a soft as the football only Huskers.

It took over ³⁄₄ of a season but the teams seems to be finally clicking. Some say it was the “talk” between coach Fred Hoiberg and Nebraska Athletic Director Trev Alberts that brought on the change. Maybe it was. This is the first multi game win streak for the Huskers since the Delta variant of COVID.

Maybe, it is the team that has had little time to gel finally starting to click?

Whatever it is, it seems to be working. The Huskers came into Columbus on the first of March and handed the #23 ranked Ohio State a loss that the Buckeyes did not need.

The Big Ten is not a conference where one can easily win on the road. Even good teams struggle once they get on the bus and head out of town. Good teams, great teams can easily walk into a foreign arena and walk out three hours later with their heads hanging low.

This was also the first win against a ranked opponent since Nebraska beat Maryland back on March 14th, 2019. Just let that sit in. Almost three full years without a notable win.

Nebraska won by shooting 49.1% from the floor and 39.1% from beyond the arch. It took the freshman phenom Bryce McGowans having a night where he shot 26 points and 4 rebounds. Which, to be honest, is par for the course for him. This being the eleventh time this season that he has racked up more than 20 points in a game.

It also took Alonzo Verge Jr. backing him up with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and and very nice 11 assists on the night. C.J. Wilcher came off the bench for another 15 points and 2 rebounds in the win.

The Big Red also kept Ohio State shooting just 38%. It also helped that OSU was without Zed Key and Kyle Young. Both very vital to the Buckeyes success were out tonight. However, the Huskers walked in hungry. I’m not even sure right now if they would have been a factor at this point.

The Huskers take on #10 Wisconsin this Sunday, March 6th in the last game of the season in Madison. Maybe they can take the win streak to three in a row?

Maybe they can knock off a top ten team before the conference tournament starts?