No. 22 Nebraska hits buzzer-beater to defeat No. 13 Illinois 83-80

No. 22 Nebraska men’s basketball (11-0, 2-0) faced its biggest test of the season on Saturday afternoon, taking on No. 13 Illinois on the road. Despite the hostile environment, the Huskers pulled off the win, taking down the Fighting Illini 83-80.

Jamarques Lawrence landed the game-winning shot, sinking just his second three-pointer of the game to hand Nebraska its historic win. The Huskers set two longstanding program records with the victory: best start to a season (11-0) and the longest winning streak (15).

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Nebraska’s win came in a fierce battle that saw both teams shoot around 50 percent and combine for 22 3-pointers. However, the Huskers held the lead for nearly the entire game, despite the Fighting Illini consistently staying right behind them.

But Nebraska managed to outshoot Illinois, going 32-of-62 from the floor while the Fighting Illini hit 28-of-58. The Huskers also landed two more shots from beyond the arc than Illinois (12-10). The Fighting Illini did double Nebraska’s total of free throws made (14-7) and managed to force a tie near the end of each half. Though the Huskers missed their shot at the end of the first, they landed it at the end of the game.

Lawrence finished with 14 points for Nebraska, shooting 5-of-8 from the floor, 2-of-4 from beyond the arc and 2-of-2 from the free throw line. He also co-led the team in assists, earning six alongside Sam Hoiberg. Pryce Sandfort led the Huskers in scoring, dropping a career-high 32 points after shooting 12-of-18 from the floor, 6-of-11 from beyond the arc and 2-of-2 from the foul line.

Rienk Mast tallied 17 points for Nebraska, shooting 7-of-15 and 3-of-6, respectively, and hauled in a team-high seven rebounds. Tulsa transfer Jared Garcia posted a season-high 10 points, finishing 4-of-8 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the foul line.

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Nebraska returns home for its next three games, starting against North Dakota on Sunday, Dec. 21. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.

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Publish date : 2025-12-14 11:15:00

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