History was made in Bloomington on January 10, 2026, as the Nebraska Cornhuskers men’s basketball team stormed back from a daunting 16-point second-half deficit to topple the Indiana Hoosiers, 83-77, in a thrilling Big Ten showdown at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. With the win, Nebraska not only extended its remarkable winning streak to 20 games—now the longest in major college basketball—but also improved to a perfect 16-0 on the season and 5-0 in conference play, marking the best start in program history and a feat unmatched by any Power Four team before them.
The Cornhuskers, ranked No. 10 nationally entering the contest, were staring down the barrel of their first loss when Indiana, led by a red-hot Lamar Wilkerson, surged to a 49-33 advantage just under three minutes into the second half. The Hoosiers, who had entered the game with a 12-3 record (3-1 Big Ten), looked poised to continue their four-game winning streak, especially after closing the first half on a 12-2 run and opening the second with a 10-3 burst. Wilkerson was seemingly unstoppable, finishing with a career-high 32 points and draining five three-pointers, while teammate Tucker DeVries added 17 points and six rebounds.
But Nebraska, showing the grit that has become its trademark this season, refused to fold. The comeback began in earnest with a barrage of three-pointers—first from Sam Hoiberg, then Jamarques Lawrence, and Pryce Sandfort—igniting a 13-0 run that erased Indiana’s lead and electrified the Cornhuskers’ bench. Within minutes, what had looked like a runaway for the Hoosiers turned into a dogfight, as Nebraska’s offense caught fire. The Huskers poured in 53 second-half points, shooting a blistering 17-of-30 from the field (56.7%), 8-of-16 from beyond the arc, and 11-of-14 from the free throw line after not attempting a single foul shot in the first half.
Jamarques Lawrence was the man of the hour for Nebraska, torching Indiana with a career-high 27 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-8 from three and 6-of-8 from the charity stripe. "I just kept believing in my shot and my teammates kept finding me in the right spots," Lawrence said after the game, his smile as wide as the Cornhuskers’ winning streak. Rienk Mast provided a steadying presence inside, tallying 13 points and hauling in a team-best six rebounds. Pryce Sandfort chipped in 12 points, sinking three triples, while Braden Frager delivered all 11 of his points in the clutch closing minutes, including a key putback that gave Nebraska its first lead since early in the contest.
The Huskers’ resilience was on full display as they methodically chipped away at Indiana’s lead. Nebraska tied the game at 55 with 11:30 remaining, then took the lead for good on Sandfort’s three-pointer to make it 65-62. Frager’s late-game heroics pushed the margin to 67-65, and from there, the Cornhuskers never looked back. Indiana, for all its early dominance, couldn’t recapture the momentum. Wilkerson continued to fight, adding five free throws and a three-pointer in the closing stretch, but Nebraska’s defense tightened when it mattered most.
Indiana’s supporting cast struggled to match Wilkerson’s output. Only DeVries and Reed Bailey (10 points) joined him in double figures. The Hoosiers shot 26-of-56 from the floor (46.4%), 11-of-30 from three (36.7%), and 14-of-17 from the line (82.4%), but managed just 11-of-30 shooting and 5-of-16 from deep in the second half as Nebraska’s defense clamped down. The loss dropped Indiana to 12-4 (3-2 Big Ten), snapping their four-game win streak and sending them searching for answers ahead of a tough road trip to No. 12 Michigan State on Tuesday, January 13.
For Nebraska, the victory was more than just another number in the win column—it was a testament to the program’s transformation under head coach Fred Hoiberg. Not since the 1965-66 season, when the Cornhuskers reached No. 8 in the national rankings, has Nebraska enjoyed such a start. With their 5-0 conference record, they’ve matched that legendary squad’s opening salvo and now stand on the brink of even greater heights. The Cornhuskers’ five straight wins over Indiana only add to their growing reputation as a Big Ten powerhouse this season.
The atmosphere in Assembly Hall was electric, with Indiana fans still buzzing from the football team’s advance to its first national championship game less than 24 hours earlier. Many arrived in “Football School” and “Rose Bowl Champions” sweatshirts, but it was the basketball Cornhuskers who stole the show. Despite the hostile environment, Nebraska kept its composure—never more so than during the near three-minute scoring drought late in the game, when defense and poise sealed the outcome.
While Nebraska’s offense drew the headlines, their defensive adjustments in the second half were just as critical. After allowing Indiana to shoot 58% in the first half, the Huskers forced tougher shots and limited the Hoosiers’ second-chance opportunities. Mast’s rebounding and Lawrence’s perimeter defense helped keep Wilkerson and DeVries from taking over down the stretch. “We just stuck together and trusted our game plan,” Mast reflected. “Everyone did their job, and that’s how we got back in it.”
Looking ahead, Nebraska will return to the friendly confines of Pinnacle Bank Arena to host Oregon on Tuesday, January 13, with tipoff set for 8 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network. The Huskers’ faithful will be eager to see if their team can continue this historic run and perhaps climb even higher in the national rankings. Indiana, meanwhile, faces a quick turnaround as they travel to East Lansing for a showdown with Michigan State, hoping to regroup and get back in the win column.
Saturday’s victory was a microcosm of Nebraska’s season so far—adversity met with resolve, and deficits turned into opportunities. With Lawrence emerging as a bona fide star, Mast anchoring the paint, and role players like Sandfort and Frager stepping up, the Cornhuskers have shown they’re more than just a feel-good story. They’re a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten and beyond. As the final buzzer sounded in Bloomington, Nebraska’s players celebrated yet another improbable comeback, their eyes firmly fixed on the challenges—and possibilities—that lie ahead.
If this game was any indication, don’t count the Cornhuskers out, no matter the odds. With momentum on their side and history within reach, Nebraska basketball is making believers out of everyone who’s watching.