Brice Williams scored 28 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and handed out six assists, helping Nebraska lead for most of the game in their 77-71 upset victory over No. 16 Oregon on Sunday night in Eugene, Ore. The Cornhuskers (14-8, 4-7) won their second straight game after a six-game losing streak. Juwan Gary added 23 points, and Rollie Worster contributed 11 points for Nebraska.
For Oregon (16-7, 5-6), Jackson Shelstad scored 16 points, and Brandon Angel added 15. The Ducks lost their third straight game and their fourth in the last five. TJ Bamba had 13 points and four steals.
Nebraska controlled most of the game, leading for 38 minutes. This win came just days after their 80-74 overtime victory against No. 18 Illinois on Thursday. The Cornhuskers shot 51% from the field, though they struggled from 3-point range, making only 4 of 23 attempts. Oregon shot 40% from the field but was also ineffective from deep, hitting just 5 of 20 shots from behind the arc.
Nebraska extended its lead to 52-41 with 10:18 left in the game after baskets from Gary, Andrew Morgan, and Williams. Oregon fought back, with Shelstad hitting two 3-pointers to make it 58-53 with 6:04 remaining. But Nebraska responded with a 3-pointer from Gary and two free throws by Williams to push the lead back to 10 with 4:16 to go.
Nebraska and No. 16 OregonOregon made one last push and cut the deficit to 70-66 on Bamba’s 3-point play with 56.2 seconds left. However, Gary and Williams each made two free throws to seal the win and give Nebraska an eight-point lead with 38.9 seconds remaining.
Williams helped Nebraska take a 34-28 lead into halftime, scoring 12 points in the first half. Bamba led Oregon with nine points in the half. Nebraska quickly jumped to a 12-4 lead just 6 1/2 minutes into the game, then extended it to 23-14 after Gary’s basket at 7:44 remaining.
After Bamba converted a three-point play, Nebraska went on a 9-0 run, capped by Williams’ dunk, to make it 32-17 with 4:53 left. Oregon closed the gap with an 11-0 run, ending with Jadrian Tracey’s 3-pointer with 1:29 remaining in the half.
