In a grudge match that mimicked Big Ten battles of past seasons, No. 15 Michigan grinded out a 49-46 win over Nebraska. The Wolverines navigated the rock fight by employing multiple defensive schemes to disrupt the Cornhuskers offense and quiet Brice Williams in the second half.
Williams had scored 18 points in the first half, knocking down 4-of-7 3-point shots. The Wolverines adjusted, fronting him and throwing double-teams at him, forcing his teammates to step up. Williams shot just 2-of-8 in the second half.
Sam Hoiberg, the son of Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg, came off a dribble hand-off and hit a deep 3-pointer to bring the Cornhuskers within 45-44 with 1:36 remaining. The Wolverines then missed a pair of 3-pointers, but the Cornhuskers couldn’t capitalize as guard Connor Essegian and Williams each missed potential go-ahead shots.
Roddy Gayle Jr. and Tre Donaldson each knocked down a pair of foul shots to seal the victory for the Wolverines.
Gayle scored 12 points to lead Michigan, Donaldson added 11, and forward Danny Wolf contributed with his 12th double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) of the season.
Williams ended with 26 points, almost willing the Cornhuskers to a crucial resume-building win by scoring over half of his team’s points.
Members of Nebraska’s football team, including quarterback Dylan Raiola, watched on as the Cornhuskers struggled to find their rhythm on offense.
Nebraska (17-11 overall, 7-10 Big Ten) dropped to 10th in the Big Ten standings with the loss. The Cornhuskers sit just 1.5 games up on 16th-place Northwestern and now have to ensure they qualify for the Big Ten Tournament before they can even worry about their place in the NCAA Tournament.
Michigan (21-6, 13-3), on the other hand, finds itself tied with Michigan State for first place in the conference, although the Spartans hold the tie-breaker. The Wolverines have one of the top defenses in the nation, sitting 15th in KenPom’s rankings, but have been a part of a number of high-scoring affairs. They scored 86 in a win at Ohio State on Feb. 16, 91 in a 15-point win over Washington on Jan. 12 and 94 in a 19-point win at UCLA on Jan. 7.
Monday night was the fewest points the Wolverines have scored in a victory in 17 years. It marked the third time in 11 years that a team won a Big Ten game with fewer than 50 points. Michigan shot a season-low 30%, and Nebraska’s 26% shooting was its worst mark since it made 21.1% in a home loss to Maryland in 2019.
The game alternated between a mix of great defense and abysmal shooting. Nebraska was 1-of-7 on layups, while Michigan was 3-of-12.
Michigan’s previous low point total in a win came in a 49-43 victory over Illinois on Feb. 23, 2008. Michigan scored on three straight possessions to take a six-point lead with 4:25 left, with Wolf making a 3-pointer and a jumper and L.J. Cason a 3 for his only basket and a 45-39 lead.
L.J. Cason drains a clutch 3-pointer to help seal No. 15 Michigan’s victory over Nebraska
The Cornhuskers have lost two straight and need to find offense from someone other than Williams. He scored Nebraska’s first 13 points and 18 of its 21 in the first half; nine other teammates who saw the floor combined for 20 points and were 7-of-41 from the field.
Michigan hosts Rutgers on Thursday. Nebraska hosts Minnesota on Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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