Brice Williams scored 28 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out six assists, leading Nebraska to a 77-71 upset win over No. 16 Oregon on Sunday evening in Eugene, Ore. The Cornhuskers (14-8, 4-7 Big Ten) were in control for most of the game, earning their second consecutive win after a six-game losing streak. Juwan Gary contributed 23 points, while Rollie Worster added 11 points.
For Oregon (16-6, 5-6), Jackson Shelstad scored 16 points, and Brandon Angel contributed 15. TJ Bamba chipped in 13 points and four steals, but the Ducks lost their third straight game and their fourth in the last five. Nebraska led for 38:01, securing their second straight upset of a ranked team after beating No. 18 Illinois 80-74 in overtime on Thursday.
In Champaign, Ill., No. 18 Illinois (15-7, 7-5 Big Ten) came back from an 11-point deficit in the second half to defeat Ohio State 87-79. Will Riley led Illinois with 24 points, while freshman Morez Johnson Jr. had 14 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Kylan Boswell added 14 points, and Tomislav Ivisic returned from a three-game absence to score 12 points. The Fighting Illini had been struggling, losing four of their last six games.
For Ohio State (13-9, 5-6), Devin Royal scored 29 points, with 19 coming in the first half, and Bruce Thornton added 22 points. The Buckeyes saw their three-game winning streak end with the loss.
In Memphis, No. 19 Memphis (18-4, 8-1 American Athletic Conference) held on for an 86-83 victory over Rice in Houston. PJ Haggerty led Memphis with 26 points and eight rebounds, and Tyrese Hunter added 19 points and five assists.
Memphis took a one-game lead in the conference over North Texas and UAB. PJ Carter sealed the win by making two free throws with 4.2 seconds left. The Owls (11-11, 2-7) had a chance to tie but couldn’t convert on a final shot attempt, with Carter blocking a desperation shot as time expired.
Rice’s Trae Broadnax led the Owls with 19 points and six assists.
