Pryce Sandfort swished six 3-pointers on the way to scoring 29 points, as No. 7 Nebraska defeated visiting Northwestern 68-49 on Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.
Nebraska (22-3, 11-3 Big Ten) surpassed last season’s win total despite matching a season-high with 18 turnovers, two fewer than slumping Northwestern (10-16, 2-13).
The Wildcats matched a season-worst with their fifth straight loss. Nick Martinelli scored 11 points to pace the Wildcats, who shot 34.8 percent in the second half.
Arrinten Page split a pair of free throws to put the Wildcats ahead by one point with 12:32 to go. The Cornhuskers regained the advantage on a Cale Jacobsen layup on the next trip down the floor and never relinquished it.
Nebraska held Northwestern without a field goal over a 4:05 stretch midway through the second half. Jacobsen’s layup started the Cornhuskers on a 8-0 run. A Sandfort 3-pointer with 7:46 to go put the hosts ahead by 10 points and set them on a 16-4 spurt to close the game.
Sandfort finished 10-for-21 from the floor, including a 6-for-13 effort from long range.
Sam Hoiberg recorded 14 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, while Jacobsen added 10 points. Rienk Mast grabbed nine boards to help Nebraska to a 40-24 edge on the glass.
Northwestern, which led No. 2 Michigan by 16 in the second half Wednesday before faltering, was unable to sustain momentum after the break Saturday. Angelo Ciaravino scored nine points to go with four rebounds.
Nebraska overcame 10 turnovers and 34.5 percent shooting to take a 28-27 lead into halftime.
Northwestern grabbed a 20-12 advantage when Tre Singleton converted a three-point play with 6:10 left before the break before the Cornhuskers responded down the stretch. Nebraska closed the half on an 8-2 run, bookending the spurt with treys from Braden Frager and Sandfort.
Martinelli, the conference’s leading scorer, didn’t register his first points of the game until he hit a jumper in the paint at the 1:39 mark.
Sandfort led all scorers with 11 first-half points. Jordan Clayton, Ciaravino, and Singleton had five apiece for the Wildcats.
The Cornhuskers improved to 13-2 at Pinnacle Bank Arena this season.
