Game Notes:

• With the win, Nebraska improved to 10-2 on the season, matching the program’s best 12-game start since 2018-19
• Nebraska put six players in double figures tonight, the first time Nebraska has done that since also putting six players in double figures against Minnesota on Feb. 25, 2022.
• Nebraska overcame a 14-point second-half deficit, NU’s largest comeback since overcoming a 17-point deficit against Wisconsin on Feb. 11, 2023. Prior to tonight, NU’s largest comeback of the season was seven points against Michigan State.
• Juwan Gary posted his second straight double-double and third of the year with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
• C.J. Wilcher led Nebraska with a season-high 16 points, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range. His previous season high was 13 on two other occasions, most recently against Rider on Nov. 13.
• Wilcher’s effort was the 10th double-figure effort from NU’s bench in 12 games and tonight marked the fourth time this season NU’s leading scorer came off the bench
• Wilcher also hit a season-high four 3-pointers in the win, as his previous season best was also three against Rider
• Nebraska is now 21-4 under Hoiberg when scoring at least 80 points, including 16-1 over the last three seasons.
• Nebraska hit 11 3-pointers on the night, the sixth time this year NU has had double-digit 3-pointers.NU is 6-0 in those contests.
• North Dakota outrebounded Nebraska 42-38 and is just the third team to outrebound Nebraska this season.

Nebraska Head Coach Fred Hoiberg
On Rienk Mast’s injury
“Rienk had some swelling in his knee last week a couple days before the Kansas State game, and got a scan on it just to figure out the best treatment option for him, and they found a little loose piece of cartilage in there. The decision was made to play the Kansas State game. He could not do further damage on it, we just didn’t want that piece floating around and get into a spot where it caused some trouble down the line. We made a decision with the doctors and with Rienk, a decision that he was comfortable with to go in and take care of the problem. Surgery went very well and the doctor was really happy with how it went. He’s got very minimal swelling, he’s moving around really well. He actually walked on the treadmill today, a little bit faster than my treadmill workout that I did this afternoon, but overall hopefully we’ll get him back. We don’t have an exact time frame, I can’t give you an exact day that he’ll be back, but we’re hoping sometime in early January.”

On overcoming the absence of Rienk Mast
“It definitely changes things. You got guys playing different positions than they have been playing. Rienk obviously has been as good as anybody we have on the floor for us especially in those two wins against Michigan State and Kansas State. His absence was felt I thought early, they dominated the glass in the first half, they crushed us out there getting loose balls. At halftime we really challenged them, they just kind of had that blank stare on their face, and they were looking at the floor. I was getting after them to say, ‘guys you understand how good of a basketball team we are when we go out there and are the harder playing more together team’ and it wasn’t the same in the huddles with guys talking to each other and trying to lead out there. After those first couple possessions in the second half, they responded in a big way. They found a formula out there, but the effort, I think we outrebounded them 21-14 in the second half which obviously was a big key as opposed to what they did to us in the first. Then had a big run to get the lead and get that thing all the way up to 10 or 11. Found a way after 4 (Tyree Ihenacho) hit those shots there at the end of the game, but overall I knew this was a game that we had to play well. This is a very good team, especially with Ihenacho, who came out in his second game as a two-time transfer, we knew his talent. They should shoot it all over the place, they’re very physical and have size. We knew this was a good time that we’d have to play well, and we didn’t in the first half, but found a way to come out and play a really complete second half of basketball.”

On the play of Jamarques Lawrence and C.J. Wilcher
“It was great to see Jamarques knock down some shots there at the end of the game and get us organized. I was really proud to see C.J. going out there after the first half and keep us in striking distance and then had that stretch in the second half where we kind of went to him on five, six, seven straight possessions and it paid off, not only with the shot but getting him to the rim. I thought he had patience in there to get some shots at the basket but CJ coming off and he’s been shooting like that in practice and just a matter of time before he had a game like this where he was knocking down shot. On Jamarques, he’s growing and he’s playing a position to his credit that he’s never really played before and he’s learning on the fly so big win for our team. We’ll have a lot of things we can learn from this game but it’s always better to learn from a win.” 

Junior Guard C.J. Wilcher
On the absence of Rienk Mast
“It’s definitely on the boards for sure. Rienk is just a sound guy, even if his shot isn’t going. If he’s not necessarily scoring the ball he’s going to make plays for other guys. He’s going to get other guys involved. He’s just a great screener too so he gets guys open, so we definitely missed his presence today.”

On overcoming Rienk’s absence
“I think it’s just next man up mentality. It’s the game of basketball, people get hurt, people may have rough nights. Everybody is gonna get an opportunity at some point and time, you just have to be ready to take advantage of those opportunities when they present themselves.” 

On Josiah Allick stepping up tonight 
“That’s Jo. Jo has been doing that all year, playing hard, super hard-nosed guy. He just came back from twisting his ankle so he’s getting his feet back under him, and like you said he stepped up today in a big way.”

Sophomore Guard Jamarques Lawrence
On changing back to a scorers’ mentality late in the game
“That’s what I’m trying to do with this new role, it’s just day-by-day with me, and I just tell myself to be more aggressive. I can make plays out of it too. I just gotta be more aggressive.”

On how the team feels about where they’re at going into the break
“We’re in a pretty solid place right now, we’re happy. I think we just get a lot better, focusing on our principles, I think we can get better defensively with our principles and stuff like that.”

North Dakota Head Coach Paul Sather: 

Opening Statement
“I think that second half, they made that run. I just felt you know, in the confidence aspect we stopped kind of the movement and the pace offensively and our offense is now affecting us. Defensively and rebounding that's kind of what it felt like. Right now we're sad because we're not making the offense. It is what it was in the first and how we're coming down and we're not rebounding the way we should've we don't play with that same energy and you know. I told our guys this that I'm not sitting here satisfied that we were close to beating Nebraska. I mean, we gave it to them. We let them, we let them take it from us. A lot of it dealt with just that they were tougher. They got some second shots where they knew they got points off turnovers and those are areas in that second half where they really built an advantage on us. We had a good one in the first half in those areas, but they really came back and built an advantage in those areas.”

On the competitive feeling in the locker room
“Yeah, they need to be. If they don't feel that way, then there's something wrong and I said man, if you don't feel that way then take an extended break. I'm not that way because I thought our guys aren't that way, like they feel that way. I don't worry about them feeling that way. But this is what I truly believe, and I think the guys believe that too. But if you don't, I mean just take an extended break. I mean every day you should be anxious and excited about getting back. Enjoy being home, enjoy Christmas, but if you're not anxious and excited about getting back knowing what we can become then there's a problem. Let's be excited about this team or what we can become because right now there's a lot of growth that we're gonna continue to make.”