Indiana men’s basketball entered Saturday on a four-game winning streak. No. 10 Nebraska entered as winners of 19 straight matchups going back to last season’s College Basketball Crown championship.
The Hoosiers led for much of the game, but a resurgent second half from Nebraska lifted the Cornhuskers to their 20th straight win as they took down Indiana 83-77 on Saturday inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson nailed a mid-range jump shot from the left corner to give the Hoosiers a 2-0 lead on the opening possession. While Wilkerson had no trouble scoring the ball for the rest of the half, the lead was elusive.
The Cornhuskers, who were 15-0 this season entering the game, started the game hot, drilling each of their first three shot attempts. Buckets from senior guard Jamarques Lawrence, senior forward Rienk Mast and junior forward Berke Büyüktuncel showcased Nebraska’s balance as they rushed out to a 14-7 lead.
But the Cream and Crimson quickly reclaimed momentum with 3-pointers from redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries and junior guard Nick Dorn. With the Hoosiers now within one point, the game remained close for much of the half.
Wilkerson became the source of much of Indiana’s offensive production. The Ashdown, Arkansas, native connected two 3-pointers en route to a 15-point first half.
After a back-and-forth stretch, freshman forward Trent Sisley knocked down a top of the key 3-pointer to knot the game at 23 points. One possession later, redshirt senior guard Conor Enright drove to the hoop and finished through contact to take the Hoosiers’ first lead since 2-0.
In the final four minutes of the half, the Cream and Crimson took control. With lockdown defense and layups from Wilkerson, senior forward Reed Bailey and sixth-year senior guard Tayton Conerway, the Hoosiers entered the break with a 39-30 lead while shooting 58% from the field.
Indiana opened the second half in the same manner as the first: with a Wilkerson jump shot. But this time, it was from beyond the arc. Wilkerson’s deep 3-pointer set the tone for the early part of the half, as the Hoosiers began the final frame with a 10-3 run. Amid the run, a second Wilkerson longball brought him over 20 points for the fifth straight game.
Free throws from DeVries brought the lead to as many as 16 points, but a 5-0 Nebraska run kept the Cornhuskers alive. The Hoosiers led by 11 at the under-16 media timeout.
As the half went on, Nebraska continued to chip away at the Indiana lead. A smattering of fouls slowed the Hoosiers’ momentum, and the Cornhuskers took advantage. Made 3-pointers from senior guard Sam Hoiberg, Lawrence and junior forward Pryce Sandfort gashed Indiana, forcing head coach Darian DeVries to call a timeout as the lead shrunk to four points.
But the Cream and Crimson turned it over on the ensuing possession, enabling Nebraska to score a quick layup. A layup from Sanford capped a 13-0 Cornhusker run that tied the game at 55 with 11:30 to play.
In the final 10 minutes of action, Wilkerson came back to life. With five free throws and a 3-point make, he gave the Hoosiers a 6-point lead. But the effort was short lived, as the Cornhuskers struck back quickly with two longballs of their own to tie the game at 65 points.
With five minutes to play, the Hoosiers went cold. As the shots stopped falling, Indiana’s once 16-point lead evaporated, and the Cornhuskers took control. Nebraska redshirt freshman forward Braden Frager drilled a right wing 3-pointer in DeVries’ face to extend the Cornhuskers’ lead to nine points late, and the Cream and Crimson couldn’t claw back.
A monstrous slam Frager slam over Bailey sealed the win for Nebraska, as Indiana dropped its first home game of the season 83-77. Wilkerson finished with 32 points on five 3-point makes, while DeVries added 17 points.
The Hoosiers will return to action on the road against Michigan State on Tuesday. Indiana will take on the Spartans at 7 p.m. inside the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Nathan Shriberg (@NShriberg and naashri@iu.edu) and columnist Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki8773 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
