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Huskers Head to No. 20 Purdue for Big Ten Showdown

The Nebraska men’s basketball team looks to bounce back on Sunday as they travel to West Lafayette, Indiana, to face the No. 20 Purdue Boilermakers. Tipoff at Mackey Arena is scheduled for 11 a.m. (CT). Fans can catch the action live on BTN or listen to the call on the Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com, or the Huskers app.

Nebraska at a Glance (12-3, 2-2 B1G)
The Huskers are coming off a hard-fought 97-87 overtime loss at Iowa on Tuesday. Nebraska built a commanding 52-37 lead early in the second half, but Iowa’s Payton Sandford sparked a comeback, with the Hawkeyes capitalizing on free throws in overtime to secure the win. The defeat snapped Nebraska’s six-game winning streak and marked just the second loss for the Huskers in their last 11 games.

Despite the loss, senior guard Brice Williams continued his stellar season, leading Nebraska with 28 points on 10-of-20 shooting, including four three-pointers. Williams also added four rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Currently, he is tied for second in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 19.4 points per game, and is setting career highs in shooting percentage (.492) and free throw percentage (.909).

For Nebraska to improve to 3-0 against ranked opponents this season, the Huskers will need to rely on their defensive strength. Before the Iowa game, Nebraska had limited its previous five opponents to an average of 56.2 points per game on 35% shooting. Despite the loss, the Huskers still rank second in the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense (.388) and seventh in scoring defense (66.7 ppg). They’ll aim to rediscover that form against Purdue.

Purdue at a Glance (12-4, 4-1 B1G)
The Boilermakers enter Sunday’s matchup riding a four-game winning streak after a 68-50 victory at Rutgers on Friday. Purdue’s defense was on full display, holding Rutgers to just 33% shooting. Offensively, Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn led the way with 16 points each.

Purdue’s balanced attack and strong defensive play make them a formidable opponent at home, where they’ll look to maintain momentum against the visiting Huskers.

What’s at Stake
For Nebraska, a win would mark their third victory over a ranked opponent this season and provide a significant boost in the Big Ten standings. Meanwhile, Purdue aims to stay near the top of the conference with another strong performance at home. Both teams will look to showcase their strengths in what promises to be an exciting Big Ten battle.

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How to Watch Nebraska vs. Purdue – January 12, 2025

Matchup Details

  • Opponent: Purdue
  • Date: Sunday, January 12, 2025
  • Tipoff: 11 a.m. (CT)
  • Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
  • Arena: Mackey Arena

Broadcast Information

Radio

Catch all the action live on the Huskers Radio Network with Kent Pavelka and Jake Muhleisen providing the play-by-play. The broadcast will air on the following stations:

  • Lincoln: KLIN (1400 AM)
  • Omaha: KXSP (590 AM)
  • Lexington: KRVN (880 AM)

The pregame show starts one hour before tipoff and is also available to stream on Huskers.com and the Huskers app.

TV/Online

Sunday’s game will air live on BTN with Brandon Gaudin and Stephen Bardo calling the game. Fans can also stream the game online using the Fox Sports app.

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Nebraska Upsets No. 15 UCLA, Extends Home Winning Streak to 20

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