Connor Essegian scored a game-high 20 points to lead three Nebraska players in double figures as the Huskers delivered a commanding defensive performance in a 77-43 victory over Southern on Monday night.
Essegian matched his career best with six 3-pointers, marking his third 20-point outing of the season. He also grabbed seven rebounds, helping Nebraska improve to 11-2 with its fifth consecutive win.
Brice Williams added 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, while Andrew Morgan chipped in 10 points off the bench as Nebraska extended its home winning streak to 19 games. Six Huskers scored at least eight points, and Nebraska dished out 22 assists on 26 field goals. Rollie Worster had six assists, and Sam Hoiberg recorded a career-high in assists. The team tied its season high with 13 3-pointers.
Nebraska’s defense dominated, holding Southern to 25.4% shooting from the field, including 3-for-24 from beyond the arc—the lowest percentage allowed by Nebraska since Nov. 6, 2018. The Huskers have held eight of their 12 opponents to under 40% shooting this season.
The Huskers set the tone early, opening with a 12-2 run in the first five minutes. Williams sparked the surge with seven quick points, while Berke Büyüktuncel and Juwan Gary added baskets to give Nebraska an early double-digit lead.
Nebraska’s defense stifled Southern in the first half, holding the Jaguars to 5-for-27 shooting. An 11-0 run, highlighted by two Essegian 3-pointers, extended the lead to 30-8 with just over five minutes left in the half. Büyüktuncel’s late triple helped push the halftime advantage to 26, as the Huskers connected on 5-of-11 from long range.
The Huskers continued to pull away in the second half, building a 30-point lead at 53-23 after an 8-0 run with 12:59 remaining. Southern trimmed the deficit to 62-40 following a 9-0 spurt, capped by a Jayce Depron 3-pointer, but Worster’s layup ignited a game-closing 12-2 run. Gavin Griffiths scored eight of those points to seal the final margin.
Depron led Southern (5-8) with 13 points, the only Jaguar to reach double figures.
Nebraska returns to action Saturday afternoon, hosting No. 15 UCLA. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT, with the game airing on FOX and the Huskers Radio Network. Tickets are available at Huskers.com/Tickets.
Source: Huskers.com