3 takeaways from Nebraska basketball’s comeback win in College Basketball Crown

During the first half of the College Basketball Crown opening round game on Monday, Nebraska basketball looked like a team that hadn’t played for a few weeks, because the Huskers hadn’t played for a few weeks.

In the second half, Nebraska basketball found itself down by 10 points. The Huskers’ hopes of winning The Crown, a tournament many fans have mocked, were on the brink.

It felt like the season was going to end with a dud. Then, Cale Jacobsen came off the bench and provided a spark. He only scored two points but had two rebounds, five assists, and three steals in 22 minutes.

Connor Essegian got hot. Brice Williams and Juwan Gary did their thing, and Nebraska stormed back for an 86-78 win. Nebraska will play Wednesday night at 8:30 PM EST on FSI against Washington State or Georgetown in the quarterfinals, and here are three takeaways from a postseason win.

Brice Williams did what he does

It was great to see Brice Williams in the Scarlet and Cream again. Thankfully, it won’t be the last time after Williams scored 30 points for the fourth time this season. He was 8 of 16 from the field, made four triples, and hit 10 of 13 free throws in 39 minutes.

Williams has carried this team offensively this season. At times, it has shown, but after a few weeks off, Williams looked fresh, after the rust wore off, and a 30-point night was a great way to start for Nebraska’s best player.

The bench sparked the turnaround

Juwan Gary and Williams combined for 47 points. Nebraska basketball would be heading home without them, but early in the second half, the team needed a spark, and it came from an unlikely source.

Arizona State struggles to take care of the ball. Turnovers have been an issue, and the Huskers, led by Jacobsen’s defense, were able to cash in.  Not only did Jacobsen get three steals, he dished out five assists, and was essential in the turnaround.

Arizona State was limited and wasn’t able to play big after some foul trouble and Fred Hoiberg took advantage. Defensive stops led to some good looks in transition — looks knocked down by Essegian, who scored 17 off the bench in the second half (seven field goals). Essegian had outscored Arizona State’s bench 17-6 all by himself, in just a half.

Nebraska basketball wanted to be there

The College Basketball Crown is like a non-playoff bowl game. There’s more to it. It’s a 16-team tournament, plus there is a prize of $300k in NIL money for players, but being motivated is huge.

Both teams were on Monday night. It was a competitive game. The Huskers had to battle, but there’s no doubt Nebraska is invested in winning the tournament. The first win is sometimes the most difficult.

Now that Nebraska got it, maybe this team can get hot like it did in Hawaii.

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