Saturday afternoon in Bloomington, Indiana, delivered a men’s college basketball spectacle that’s sure to be remembered for years to come. The 10th-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers, riding a tidal wave of momentum and boasting the nation’s longest active winning streak, stormed back from a daunting 16-point second-half deficit to defeat the Indiana Hoosiers 83-77 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. With the win, Nebraska improved to a flawless 16-0 on the season and 5-0 in Big Ten play, marking the program’s best league start since the mid-1960s. Indiana, meanwhile, saw its own four-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 12-4 overall, 3-2 in conference play.
For much of the afternoon, it looked like Indiana was primed to hand Nebraska its first loss of the season. The Hoosiers, energized by a raucous home crowd, surged ahead behind the hot hand of Lamar Wilkerson. The fifth-year senior guard was nothing short of electric, pouring in a game-high 32 points on 20 shot attempts, including a perfect 9-for-9 from the line and five made three-pointers. Wilkerson set the tone early, nailing a mid-range jumper on the opening possession and continuing to torch the Cornhuskers’ defense throughout the first half. By halftime, Indiana held a 39-30 lead, shooting a scorching 58% from the field, and Wilkerson had already tallied 15 points.
The Hoosiers opened the second half just as strong, with Wilkerson draining a deep three to ignite a 10-3 run. Free throws from Tucker DeVries extended the lead to 16 points, and the Assembly Hall faithful could almost taste a statement victory. But Nebraska, a team that’s grown comfortable in the crucible of tight games, refused to go quietly. The Cornhuskers chipped away at the deficit, capitalizing on Indiana’s mounting foul trouble and a sudden cold spell from the Hoosier offense.
Senior guard Jamarques Lawrence spearheaded the Nebraska comeback. Lawrence, who finished with a career-high 27 points, found his rhythm at just the right moment. Buckets from Lawrence, senior forward Rienk Mast, and junior forward Berke Büyüktuncel had helped Nebraska build an early lead, but it was Lawrence’s second-half heroics that truly turned the tide. "We just kept believing in each other," Lawrence said after the game, according to KMTV. "Even when we were down, we knew we had another run in us."
The game’s pivotal stretch came with about 14 minutes remaining, when Indiana’s DeVries picked up his third and fourth fouls in quick succession. Forced to the bench, DeVries’ absence was felt immediately. Nebraska pounced, stringing together a 13-0 run punctuated by a Sam Hoiberg three-pointer and a Pryce Sandfort layup that tied the game at 55 with 11:30 left. The Hoosiers, suddenly on their heels, struggled to regain their earlier composure.
Indiana wasn’t done yet. Wilkerson, showing why he’s the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year and the Hoosiers’ leading scorer at nearly 20 points per game, responded with a barrage of free throws and another three-pointer to briefly restore a six-point Indiana lead. But the Cornhuskers struck back with two quick longballs, knotting the score at 65 as the clock ticked under five minutes.
From there, Nebraska seized control. Redshirt freshman Braden Frager stepped into the spotlight, drilling a right-wing three-pointer over DeVries to give Nebraska its largest lead of the game at nine points. Moments later, Frager punctuated the comeback with a thunderous slam dunk over Indiana’s Reed Bailey, effectively sealing the win and silencing the home crowd.
Statistically, Nebraska’s second-half performance was nothing short of breathtaking. The Cornhuskers shot a blistering 56.7% from the field and 8-for-16 from beyond the arc after the break, racking up 50 points in the final 17:29 of play. Their offensive execution was clinical, producing 1.559 points per possession during the comeback stretch—a mark that would make any coach envious. “Nebraska’s second-half offensive execution was absurd,” wrote The Athletic’s Mitch Sherman, noting the Huskers’ ability to score at will down the stretch.
For Indiana, the loss was a bitter pill. DeVries, who finished with 17 points, was hampered by foul trouble for much of the game, playing just 22 minutes and spending critical stretches on the bench. The Hoosiers’ offense sputtered late, unable to find the same rhythm that had carried them to a double-digit lead. “It’s tough when you’re not out there to help your team,” DeVries said postgame. “We let one slip away.”
The win was Nebraska’s fifth Quadrant 1 victory of the season, solidifying its status as one of the nation’s elite teams and pushing the Cornhuskers ever closer to a coveted top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Remarkably, Nebraska remains the only Power 4 program never to win an NCAA Tournament game, but with this group’s resilience and firepower, that drought may soon be a thing of the past.
The Huskers’ 20-game winning streak, the longest active run in the country, now dates back to last season’s College Basketball Crown championship. Head coach Fred Hoiberg’s squad has made a habit of thriving under pressure, and Saturday’s comeback only added to their growing reputation as college basketball’s ultimate survivors. “We just keep fighting,” Hoiberg told reporters. “This group doesn’t know how to quit.”
Looking ahead, Nebraska will return home to Pinnacle Bank Arena to host the Oregon Ducks on Tuesday, January 13, at 8 PM. The matchup brings added intrigue, as former Creighton coach Dana Altman leads the Ducks into Lincoln for what promises to be another high-stakes clash. Indiana, meanwhile, will look to rebound on the road against No. 13 Michigan State in East Lansing that same evening, with tip-off set for 7 PM at the Breslin Center.
Saturday’s contest was a showcase of high-level college basketball—the kind of game that reminds fans why March can’t come soon enough. Nebraska’s remarkable run continues, and if the Huskers keep showing this kind of grit, the national spotlight won’t be leaving Lincoln anytime soon. For Indiana, it’s back to the drawing board, but with Wilkerson in top form and lessons learned from a hard-fought loss, the Hoosiers’ season is far from over.
