Nebraska secured its sixth straight victory and tied a school record with its 20th consecutive home win, defeating No. 15 UCLA 66-58 on Saturday afternoon. The Huskers (12-2, 2-1 Big Ten) used a decisive second-half surge to overcome the Bruins, who were held to their second-lowest scoring output of the season.
Nebraska pulled away with a 17-6 run after UCLA closed within 36-34 with 13:35 remaining. The Huskers limited the Bruins to just two field goals over nearly five minutes, extending their lead to 53-40 after Juwan Gary drained his third 3-pointer of the game.
UCLA (11-3, 2-1 Pac-12) cut the deficit to 61-58 on a layup by Dylan Andrews with 24.3 seconds left, but Sam Hoiberg sank two free throws to restore a five-point cushion. Andrews had a potential layup blocked by Gary on the Bruins’ next possession, and Hoiberg grabbed the rebound before finding Brice Williams, who hit two more free throws to seal the victory.
The Huskers were clutch at the foul line, converting 25-of-29 attempts, including 21-of-25 in the second half. Despite shooting just 33% from the field, Nebraska’s defense held UCLA to 38.6% shooting and forced 15 turnovers, leading to 17 points.
Williams led all scorers with 16 points for Nebraska, while Andrew Morgan added 12 off the bench, including five straight after UCLA took a 32-31 lead early in the second half. Rollie Worster chipped in 11 points and four rebounds, with Gary contributing 10 points. Nebraska also notched its second win over a ranked opponent this season.
The first half was a defensive struggle, with the teams tied 24-24 at the break. Nebraska held UCLA to 33% shooting while hitting just 30.8% of its own shots. Both teams had significant runs, including a 15-0 burst by the Huskers and a matching 15-0 response by the Bruins.
The Huskers mounted their initial comeback after trailing 7-0, sparked by a Williams 3-pointer that launched a 15-0 run for a 15-7 lead. UCLA responded with a 15-0 spurt of its own to go up 22-15 before Nebraska closed the half with nine unanswered points.
In the second half, Morgan’s five-point swing helped Nebraska reclaim the lead for good after UCLA briefly went ahead. The Huskers then methodically pulled away, with Williams starting the decisive run with four straight free throws.
UCLA was led by Tyler Bilodeau, who scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Lazar Stefanovic added 10 points off the bench, and Kobe Johnson contributed eight points and 11 rebounds.
Source: Huskers.com