Nebraska tops No. 23 OSU, Hoiberg's 1st win over ranked foe

Updated Mar. 1, 2022 9:35 p.m. ET

Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Bryce McGowens scored 26 points, Alonzo Verge Jr. had 13 points and 11 assists, and Nebraska beat No. 23 Ohio State 78-70 on Tuesday night.

The Cornhuskers (9-21, 3-16 Big Ten) bested a ranked opponent for the first time under third-year coach Fred Hoiberg. He came in 0-23 against teams in the AP Top 25, and Nebraska was 0-24 overall since beating a ranked Maryland squad during the 2019 Big Ten Tournament.

C.J. Wilcher added 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting for the Huskers, who overcame a seven-point deficit in the first half and won their second straight game.

E.J. Liddell had 27 points and 14 rebounds, his seventh double-double of the season, for Ohio State (18-9, 11-7). Malaki Branham scored 16 points.

Ohio State got within four points with 55 seconds remaining, but the Huskers went 5-for-6 at the free-throw line to put away their first win over the Buckeyes since Feb. 18, 2017.

The Huskers shot 49.1% overall and 56% in the first half. Ohio State led 26-19 midway through the half, but Nebraska took a 43-36 advantage thanks to an 8-minute stretch without a field goal for the Buckeyes. The cold spell finally ended when Branham connected on a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in the half.

BIG PICTURE

Nebraska: The Huskers scored at least 78 points and shot 49% or better for the third consecutive game. They hadn’t done either in back-to-back conference games this season until beginning their streak against then-No. 25 Iowa on Friday.

Ohio State: The Buckeyes shot below 40% and failed to lead in the second half for the second game in a row. This is their second straight loss to an unranked opponent and third in five games.

UP NEXT

Nebraska: At No. 10 Wisconsin on Sunday.

Ohio State: Hosts Michigan State on Thursday.

___

More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25