Freshman C.J. Wilcher had 15 off the bench, but Nebraska was unable to slow down Northwestern in an 87-63 loss Saturday afternoon.
Wilcher hit 6-of-10 shots from the floor, including a trio of 3-pointers, but the visitors made nine straight shots during a 25-8 first-half run to overcome an early deficit. Nebraska was within 14-13 after Wilcher's second 3-pointer, but the Wildcats responded with 12 unanswered points, including five from Ryan Green, to take a 13-point lead and force a Husker timeout.
The Wildcats (11-10, 4-8 Big Ten) hit 10 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes and shot 46 percent from the floor in opening up a 49-27 halftime lead. Boo Buie had 16 of his game-high 27 points in the first half, including four 3-pointers before the break.
Chase Audige added 16 while Ryan Young chipped in 12 off the bench for the Wildcats, who shot 49 percent from the field, including 13-of-31 from long distance.
Bryce McGowens was the only other Husker to finish in double figures, as he had 10 points, snapping a streak of four consecutive 20-point outings. In all, the Huskers shot 45 percent, but just 33 percent in the opening 20 minutes.
The Huskers (6-17, 0-12) will look to bounce back on Wednesday night, as they play host to Minnesota. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. (CT) at Pinnacle Bank Arena and will be televised on BTN, with live radio coverage available through Huskers Radio Network on Huskers.com.