Nebraska defeats Illinois 80-83

Nebraska Stuns Illinois in Thrilling Conference Showdown

In a back-and-forth affair, the visiting Nebraska Cornhuskers edged out host Illinois 83-80 in a dramatic conference matchup on Saturday evening at State Farm Center.

The contest saw both teams trading baskets and neither able to gain a clear advantage until late in the fourth quarter. The largest lead of the game for either side was a two-point difference early on, with Nebraska taking an early 14-12 lead before Illinois fought back to level the score at 37-37 at halftime.

In the second half, both teams continued to trade blows, with neither able to build more than a three-point cushion. The largest lead of the game after halftime belonged to Illinois, which led by two with just over five minutes remaining. However, Nebraska responded with a series of clutch baskets and a stifling defensive effort to stay ahead.

Pryce Sandfort led Nebraska in scoring with 32 points on 6-11 three-point shooting, including four key buckets in the final quarter. Rienk Mast chipped in with 17 points and seven rebounds off the bench for the Cornhuskers.

For Illinois, Kylan Boswell had a standout game, netting 20 points on 3-6 three-point shooting at a 55.6% clip from the field. Andrej Stojakovic added 19 points and ten rebounds, while Keaton Wagler contributed ten assists to round out the Fighting Illini's balanced attack.

The win for Nebraska marked a significant upset, as the Cornhuskers had been favored by just two points heading into the contest. The victory keeps Nebraska in contention for an NCAA Tournament bid, while Illinois' loss drops them to 0-1 on the season despite a promising performance from its young squad.

Key Takeaways

* Nebraska's Pryce Sandfort dominated the game with 32 points and six three-pointers.

* Kylan Boswell led Illinois with 20 points and three three-pointers, but fell just short of leading his team to victory.

* The Cornhuskers' Rienk Mast provided a strong supporting performance off the bench with 17 points and seven rebounds.

* Nebraska's defense came up big in the final quarter, holding Illinois to just six points.

The loss drops Illinois to 0-1 on the season despite a promising performance from its young squad.