3 thoughts on Nebraska’s sluggish win over Maryland-Eastern Shore

The Nebraska basketball team improved to 3-0 on Tuesday night, even though the final effort left much to be desired.

A win is a win. However, Nebraska basketball was a 33-point favorite against Maryland-Eastern Shore. The Huskers held a slim lead for most of the first half, before pushing their advantage to 13, 32-19 at the half.

During a stretch that covered the end of the first half and the start of the second, Nebraska basketball outscored Maryland-Eastern Shore 37-9. The Hawks made just 2-of-20 shots in that time.

Nebraska basketball didn’t play that well beyond that point. Yet, the Huskers did enough for a 69-50 win. Pryce Sandfort led all scorers with 19 points. Fred Hoiberg added 18, a career-high, on 7-of-10 shooting.

Oklahoma is up next, but here are three thoughts on Nebraska’s win over Maryland-Eastern Shore.

Sam Hoiberg saved the day

Saved might be a strong word. It’s fair to say this game could have been much closer without the efforts of Sam Hoiberg. The son of the head coach made two triples, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out four assists, and was credited with four steals.

Hoiberg has been about doing the dirty work. He can shoot and create, though. This is the second consecutive game with at least four assists. That’s in addition to being Nebraska’s best defender, at least among guards.

It wasn’t a perfect night. But it was one of the best games of Sam Hoiberg’s career.

Coming back to Earth

Braden Frager came back to reality from 3-point range, missing all four of his attempts after making 5-of-11 during the first two games. Rienk Mast also had a rough night, making 2-of-8 attempts.

As a team, the Huskers struggled to shoot the ball. Nebraska basketball shot 19 percent from beyond the arc. The Huskers shot just 39 percent from the field.

Yet, they still found a way, even if it was the opposite of pretty.

Defense did the job

This win really was about defense. Maryland-Eastern Shore was limited to just 31 percent from the field. The Hawks shot 32 percent from 3-point range but also turned it over 14 times compared to seven for Nebraska.

The Huskers shot twice as many free throws, allowing just nine. The game could have been a bigger blowout; however, Nebraska never lost control.

Up next, Oklahoma.