Nebraska Basketball Loses to BYU in Exhibition Game

The Nebraska men's basketball team struggled to replicate last year's success, suffering a 72-61 loss to BYU in an exhibition game on Friday night. Despite leading by as many as seven points in the first half, the Huskers were unable to maintain their advantage as they fell short on the road.

Last year, Nebraska triumphed over BYU in an exhibition, winning 90-89 at Pinnacle Bank Arena. This time, senior guard Cale Jacobsen led the Huskers with 15 points, playing more than 30 minutes. Sophomore forward Braden Frager contributed eight points in nearly 29 minutes of play. Head coach Fred Hoiberg started Jacobsen in place of senior forward Sam Orme, who missed the game due to a hamstring injury.

BYU, which had a successful run last season, losing key players AJ Dybansta and Richie Saunders to graduation, introduced new talent including junior guard Collin Chandler from Kentucky and senior forward Jaxon Koehler from Michigan State. Chandler scored a game-high 19 points, while Koehler also reached double digits, joining junior guard Robert Wright III and five-star recruit Bruce Branch III in contributing significantly to the score.

In the first half, eleven Huskers played, with seven putting points on the board. Junior center Damon Wilkinson scored seven points off the bench, including the first three-pointer of his collegiate career. Nebraska led 32-28 at halftime, bolstered by Frager's seven points.

However, BYU initiated the second half with an 8-0 run. Husker senior forward Pryce Sandfort helped tie the game with a three-pointer, but Nebraska could not reclaim the lead. Freshman guard Jacob Lanier also made an impact, scoring 11 points and grabbing three rebounds. Despite Nebraska's efforts, BYU dominated the rebounds with 39 compared to Nebraska's 35 and outscored them in the paint, 30-18.

Late in the game, BYU secured a comfortable lead with a 6-0 scoring run. Nebraska's 24 points from the bench contrasted with BYU's eight, but the Cougars shot 48% from the field in the second half, ultimately sealing the win as Nebraska struggled at just 31% shooting overall.

The Huskers will conclude their three-game exhibition stretch against Kansas State in Grand Island, Nebraska, on Monday, October 26, with tipoff set for 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.