Pryce Sandfort had a game-high 32 points to lead three Huskers in double figure, as No. 12 Nebraska dominated the second half in an 82-67 win over USC Saturday afternoon.
Sandfort had 20 of his 32 points after halftime, as Nebraska (25-4, 14-4 Big Ten) overcame a 37-31 halftime deficit by shooting 53 percent in the second half and holding USC to 39 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes.
Braden Frager had 17 points and eight rebounds while Rienk Mast added 11 points and six boards, as Nebraska enjoyed a 41-25 advantage on the glass, including 18 offensive boards.
Nebraska opened the half with a 12-2 run over the first 3:02, taking the lead for good on Sandfort’s four-point play with 18:22 left before Berke Buyuktuncel’s dunk put the Huskers ahead 43-38.
In all, NU held the Trojans to two field goals over the first seven-plus minutes as the Huskers extended the lead to 51-42 after basket from Mast and Frager.
USC pulled to within 51-46 after a pair of Alijah Arenas baskets before Nebraska used a 15-0 surge over the next 4:24 to put the game away and extend the margin to 66-46 after five straight points from Sandfort, who posted his third 30-point game of the season.
Arenas and Chad Baker-Mazara had 14 points apiece for USC (18-11, 7-11 Big Ten), who lost their fourth straight game.
USC took a 36-31 lead into the locker room as the Trojans shot 52 percent from the field while Nebraska shot just 35 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes.
Nebraska got off to a strong start, running off eight straight points to take a 13-8 lead on Sam Hoiberg 3-pointer at the 13:57 mark of the half and led 15-10 when Hoiberg picked up his second foul on Ezra Ausar’s basket at the 11:40 mark and sat for the rest of the half.
NU extended its lead to 17-13 on a Pryce Sandfort basket with 10:46 left in the half, but USC responded with an 11-3 run, including a pair of 3-pointers from Jaden Brownell to take a 24-20 lead after a 3-pointer from Baker Mazara. Brownell gave USC eight first-half points off the bench.
USC built its largest lead of the half at 36-29 after two straight Jerry Easter II baskets before a Sandfort basket cut the deficit to six at the break. Sandfort led NU with 12 first-half points, while Baker Mazara had all 14 of his points before halftime.
The Huskers will continue their West Coast swing on Tuesday night, as Nebraska takes on UCLA. Tipoff is set for 10 p.m. (central) and the game will be carried on FS1 and the Huskers radio network.
Nebraska Postgame Notes
*-Nebraska improves to 25-4 on the season, as the 25 wins are one shy of the single-season school record of 26 set in 1990-91.
*-Nebraska improves to 14-4 in Big Ten play, as the 14 wins breaks the school record for most conference wins in a season. Before this season, the record was 13, set in 2017-18.
*-Nebraska improves to 7-2 in Big Ten road games this season. NU is now 10-2 away from Pinnacle Bank Arena this season (7-2 road, 3-0 neutral). NU is now 10-4 in its last 14 Big Ten road games dating back to last season. Nebraska’s previous record for road conference wins was five
*-The Huskers evened the all-time series with USC at six wins apiece and have won five of the last six meetings since 2009.
*-Nebraska has won 46 games over the past two seasons, the most combined wins in consecutive years in school history.
*-Pryce Sandfort posted his third 30-point game of the season with 32 points. His three 30-point games mark ties for the third-highest total by a Husker in the Big Ten era, trailing only Brice Williams (2023-25) and James Palmer Jr. (2017-19), who had four 3-point games apiece.
*-Sandfort’s three 30-point games this season is now one shy of the school record for 30-point games in a season
*-Sandfort’s five 3-pointers gives him 75 in Big Ten play, five shy of the most 3-pointers by a player in Big Ten Conference history.
*-Nebraska had a season-high 18 offensive rebounds against USC, while the +16 margin on the glass matched its best effort of the season (vs. Northwestern).
*-Braden Frager came off the bench for 17 points and tied his career high with eight rebounds. Frager had eight rebounds against New Mexico and against Maryland
*-Jamarques Lawrence tied his career high with seven assists. As a team, Nebraska dished out 20 assists in the win.
*-Nebraska improves to 13-0 this season when scoring 80+ points and 51-10 under Head Coach Fred Hoiberg