Nebraska
Nebraska overcomes 18-point deficit in second half to upset Wisconsin 80-72
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska loves to play at Pinnacle Bank Arena, and the record shows it.
No. 6 Wisconsin, on the other hand, might be getting a complex about the place.
For the second straight year, the Cornhuskers pulled off a dramatic comeback to beat the Badgers. On Thursday night, they erased an 18-point second-half deficit to win 80-72 in overtime. Last February, Nebraska erased a 17-point second-half deficit en route to an overtime win.
Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said he made sure to remind his players of that in the locker room when they were down 43-27.
“A huge win for us,” Hoiberg said. “We knew the importance of this. I’m proud of the guys for finding a way to dig in and come back when things were not looking good.”
Rienk Mast scored early in overtime to give the Huskers the lead for good, and when time expired the students spilled onto the court for the second time this season. The first was Jan. 9 when the Huskers beat then-No. 1 Purdue 88-72.
C.J. Wilcher scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half, Mast finished with 20, and the Huskers (16-6, 6-5) improved to 6-0 at home in Big Ten play and 14-1 overall.
It was Nebraska’s biggest comeback since erasing a 19-point deficit against Iowa in 2013. Since 2000, Wisconsin had been 120-0 when leading by 15 or more points at halftime.
“I thought we got completely away from what makes us good,” Badgers coach Greg Gard said. “The shots we settled for at times, turning the ball over and gambling defensively when we didn’t need to gamble … just doing some very uncharacteristic things.”
AJ Storr matched his season high with 28 points to lead the Badgers (16-5, 9-2). Max Klesmit and Chucky Hepburn had 13 apiece.
The Huskers were coming off an embarrassing 73-51 loss at Maryland and found themselves down as many as 19 in the first half.
“Coach got on us about having our heads down,” Wilcher said. “That gave us a little spark and helped us play with a little bit of edge.”
Mast said he and his teammates were a bit taken aback by Hoiberg’s halftime speech.
“We needed that,” Mast said. “When you have a coach that’s super chill and then is super loud, it’s, ‘Come on guys.’”
Wisconsin struggled the entire second half against a more aggressive Nebraska defense. After shooting 55% in the first half, the Badgers dipped to 36% in the second and got sloppy with the ball.
When Wilcher hit a deep 3 to pull the Huskers within seven points, he beat his chest and asked the crowd for more noise. The fans obliged and were on their feet for the final 12 minutes of regulation and all of overtime.
“The roof came off the place,” Hoiberg said, adding that it was the best environment he has experienced in his five years at Nebraska.
Brice Williams’ two free throws in the final minute of regulation gave Nebraska its first lead at 67-65. Storr’s layup tied it and Mast and Williams missed two shots in the last 20 seconds.
Nebraska capitalized on a run of eight Wisconsin turnovers over eight minutes in the second half to tie it at 52. The Badgers were ahead 63-56 after Klesmit scored 11 points over two minutes.
But Nebraska came back again, got the game to overtime and posted one of its biggest comebacks in program history.
Big picture
Wisconsin: The Badgers had as nearly as many turnovers (10) as field goals (11) after half.
Nebraska: The Huskers posted their second win over a top-10 opponent in the same season for the first time since 2013-14.
Hepburn homecoming
Wisconsin’s Hepburn, playing 50 miles from his hometown of Omaha, was met with boos each time he touched the ball. Hepburn had strongly considered Nebraska, but picked the Badgers after the Huskers fired Tim Miles in 2019.
Hepburn played a big role in the first half. In a span of 29 seconds, Hepburn made a fallaway jumper and had two layups off steals, with a free throw tacked onto the second. Another layup pushed the Badgers’ advantage to 17 late in the half.
Up next
Wisconsin: Hosts No. 2 Purdue on Sunday.
Nebraska: Visits No. 14 Illinois on Sunday.
The results are in for the Nebraska Lottery’s draw games on Friday, May 8, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on May 8.
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing
37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 8 drawing
8-0-5
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from May 8 drawing
01-03-12-24-26
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning 2 By 2 numbers from May 8 drawing
Red Balls: 02-20, White Balls: 09-11
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning MyDay numbers from May 8 drawing
Month: 01, Day: 16, Year: 17
Check MyDay payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing
14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Nebraska Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, 5: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- 2 By 2: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- MyDaY: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Nebraska Athletics announced Friday that the expansion of John Cook Arena is in full swing.
The Nebraska Athletics Capital Planning and Facilities Department posted to social media that the effort to modernize amenities and provide new seating options is well underway.
According to the athletic fund, the renovation will enhance Nebraska’s home-court advantage, modernize amenities and provide new premium and general seating options. This includes adding:
- New and improved seats with cup holders in each seat.
- A new centralized student section.
- New and improved courtside seating with both end court and side court locations available. The Courtside Lounge offers access pregame and during intermission and includes private restrooms, televisions and all-inclusive gourmet food, beverage and alcohol.
- New Loge Box seating with hospitality lounge with access pregame and during intermission, including access to private restrooms, televisions and all-inclusive gourmet food and beverage with a cash bar.
- Libero Club seating replaces the VIP seats. Located in the back row of the 100 level, seats include access to the Libero Club Lounge pregame and during intermission complete with televisions and all-inclusive gourmet food and soft drinks with a cash bar.
- Additional ADA seating with new vantage points and easier access from around the concourse.
The Husker Athletic Fund announced the first-ever reseating and parking process in October 2025. It is timed to coincide with the renovation of the arena to increase overall capacity to 10,000.
For more information about the reseating process, click here.
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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers will face the Indiana Hoosiers in the semifinal round of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday evening. The Huskers defeated the Michigan Wolverines, while Indiana defeated Washington to advance to the semis.
Nebraska enters with a 44-6 record and is on a 19-game win streak, the longest active streak in the country. The Huskers have reached the semifinals of each of the last five Big Ten Tournaments. Indiana is 42-13 on the season.
The Huskers won the Big Ten regular-season title, the first conference title since 2014 and the first outright title since joining the Big Ten. The 23 regular-season wins tied for the most in conference history.
The Huskers are led by 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Jordy Frahm. Frahm is hitting .429 with 19 HR and 49 RBI. She is also 16-4 with a 1.26 ERA in the pitcher’s circle.
Indiana is led in the batter’s box by Aly VanBrandt, who is hitting .405 on the season with 15 home runs and 61 RBI. Aubree Hooks is the leading pitcher with an 11-2 record and a 2.35 ERA in 80.1 innings pitched.
This will be the first meeting of the season between these two teams, as they did not face each other during the Big Ten schedule.
Watch Nebraska vs Indiana in the Big Ten Softball Tournament live on Fubo (free trial)
Here’s how to watch the Nebraska-Indiana softball match on Friday, including time, TV schedule, and streaming information:
What channel is the Nebraska-Indiana softball match on Friday?
TV Channel: Big Ten Network
Livestream: Fubo (free trial)
Nebraska vs. Indiana in the semifinals of the Big Ten Softball Tournament will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. Streaming options for the game include FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Time of the Nebraska-Indiana softball match on Friday
- Date: Friday, March 8
- Start time: 4 p.m. CT
The Nebraska vs Indiana semifinal match in the Big Ten Softball Tournament starts at 4 p.m. at the Maryland Softball Stadium in College Park, MD.
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