No. 15 Huskers Host North Dakota Sunday Night

No.	Season	Win Streak	Date Started	Date Ended
1.	2024-25/25-26	13 games	3-31-25	present
2.	1990-91	14 games	11-28-90	1-22-91
	1911-12/12-13	14 games	1-27-12	1-25-13
4	1919-20/20-21	13 games	2-6-20	1-3-21
	1897-98/1900-01	13 games	2-22-1898	1901**
6.	1912-13	12 games	1-31-13	3-12-13
7.	2010-11	11 games	11-20-10	1-12-11
	1993-94	11 games	12-3-93	1-19-94
	1905-06/06-07	11 games	2-25-06	2-15-07

• Nebraska enters the weekend as one of seven unbeaten teams in Division I, joining Michigan, Arizona, Iowa State, Duke, Vanderbilt and Miami (Ohio). 

• With the 83-80 win at No. 13 Illinois on Dec. 13, the Huskers are now 10-11 in the last 21 games against ranked teams, including a 6-6 mark in true road games. Prior to that, NU had lost 24 straight against ranked teams dating back to the 2019 Big Ten Tournament. 

• The Huskers lead the Big Ten and are 18th nationally with 11.2 3-pointers made per game as of Dec. 18. Nebraska's 11.2 3-pointers per game are 4.4 more 3-pointers per game than last season after 11 games and marks is the best early-season start for a Fred Hoiberg team at NU.   

• Nebraska has made 10-or-more 3-pointers eight times in 11 games, including 17 against FIU and 15 vs. Oklahoma.  It marked only the seventh and eighth time in school history that NU had at least 15 3-pointers in a game. Last year, the Huskers hit 10-or-more 3-pointers just seven times in 35 contests. 

• Nebraska enters the weekend ranked No. 11 in the NET on Dec. 18.  The Huskers are one of six Big Ten teams in the top 25 of the NET (No. 1 Michigan, No. 9 Purdue, No. 10 Michigan State, No. 11 Nebraska, No. 12 Illinois and No. 19 Iowa). In addition, four other teams are ranked in the top 50 of the NET.  The Big Ten has more teams in both the top 25 and top 50 of the NET than any other conference. 

• Nebraska comes into the North Dakota game averaging 83.8 ppg, which is the Huskers' highest scoring average thru 11 games since the 1995-96 season (92.1 ppg). The 1995-96 team marked the last time Nebraska averaged 80.0 ppg in a season. Nebraska's 48.5 percent shooting as a team is on pace to be the Huskers' highest field goal percentage since 2000-01 (.487). 

• NU's team 1.92-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks fourth in the Big Ten and sixth nationally as of Dec. 18. It is on track to be NU's best total in Fred Hoiberg's seven seasons. NU's best assist-to-turnover ratio under Hoiberg was 1.38-to-1 in 2023-24. The school record in that category is 1.81-to-1 in 1984-85. Nebraska has two games with at least 20 assists and six turnovers or less (Winthrop, at Oklahoma, at Illinois). 

• Nebraska enters Sunday's game vs. North Dakota ranked fifth in the Big Ten and 21st nationally with 18.8 assists per game. It is an increase of 4.6 assists per game from last season. NU has averaged 20 assists only two times in school history (1990-91 and 1984-85) and Nebraska's highest assist per game total under Hoiberg is 15.3 per game in 2023-24.

•Nine Huskers have posted double-figure efforts this season, while four players have had at least one 20-point performance (Pryce Sandfort-5; Rienk Mast-4; Braden Frager-2; Jamarques Lawrence-1).

• The Huskers posted their second double-digit comeback of the season against USC Upstate on Nov. 29, overcoming a 12-point first-half deficit. During its 14-game win streak, NU now has four comebacks from 10+ points (Arizona State, UCF, Oklahoma and USC Upstate).

• Over the last three-plus seasons, NU is 46-3 (.939) when holding foes to under 1.00 PPP and 47-5 when holding opponents to under 70 points. Nebraska has improved its KenPom defensive efficiency in each of the past three seasons and is on track to continue that trend early in 2025-26.

• Nebraska has held seven of its 11 opponents to under 1.0 points per possession, including three of the last four opponents. 

• Rienk Mast is one of 10 players nationally - and five from power conference teams - averaging at least 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as of Dec. 18. Mast comes into the Illinois game averaging a career-high 17.9 points per game on 54 percent shooting, including 43 percent from 3-point range. 

• Mast (1,593 points, 970 rebounds) is one of two active Division I players with at least 1,500 points and 900 rebounds as of Dec. 18, joining Gonzaga's Graham Ike (2,146 points, 984 rebounds). Mast also ranks in the top 15 among active NCAA players in points, rebounds and games played. 

• Pryce Sandfort is averaging 18.3 ppg, 5.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game over the past eight contests dating back to Nov. 15. He also has an 6.0-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in that span. Sandfort has four of his five 20-point games in that stretch, including a career-high 32 points at Illinois.

• Sandfort is making a similar leap that his brother Payton made between his second and third collegiate seasons. The elder Sandfort saw his scoring average jump from 10.3 to 16.4 while also averaging more than two more rebounds per game as a junior. 

• Nebraska is 45-14 (.762) over the past three-plus seasons when Sam Hoiberg plays at least 20 minutes. The senior is setting career bests in nearly every category, including scoring (8.1 ppg), rebounding (4.5 rpg), assists (4.1 apg) and steals (1.7 spg).  Over the last three games, he is averaging 11.3 ppg on 61 percent shooting along with 4.1 assists per game. He leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio as of Dec. 18. 

• Braden Frager has emerged as one of the top freshmen in the Big Ten as he comes into Sunday's game with North Dakota averaging 10.8 points per game. He is seventh among Big Ten freshmen in scoring despite starting just one of NU's first 11 contests. He was named MVP of the Hall of Fame Classic and Big Ten Freshman of the Week last month after averaging 18.0 points on 72 percent shooting and 7.0 rebounds per game in wins over K-State and New Mexico. In the Big Ten era, only one Husker freshman finished the season averaging double figures - Bryce McGowens in 2021-22 (16.8 ppg).

• After going 24 seasons without an in-season tournament championship, Nebraska has won two since last Christmas, taking home the Diamond Head Invitational last December and the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City last month. NU's Hall of Fame Classic title marked the first time a Big Ten team won the event since 2014.

• NU has 14 double-digit scoring runs this season, which is tied for 11th nationally according to EvanMiya.com.

• Nebraska has now won a school-record 20 straight non-conference games dating back to Nov. 22, 2024. It is also the nation's longest non-conference win streak. NU has also won 14 straight home games against non-conference foes dating back to the 2023-24 season. 

 

Scouting North Dakota
North Dakota comes to Lincoln with a 5-9 record following Thursday's 90-88 win over Winthrop. The NU game is UND's third high major opponent after opening the season at No. 15 Alabama and falling at Creighton, 75-60 on Nov. 19.  Sunday's game in Lincoln will mark UND's final non-con road game as North Dakota will host Dakota State on Dec. 28 before beginning Summit League play on New Year's Day. 

Redshirt freshman Greyson Uelmen leads UND in scoring at 13.1 while shooting 50 percent from the field. Senior Eli King, the only returning starter back from last year, averages 11.1 points per game and is among the national leaders in steals at 2.7 per contest. 

Head Coach Paul Sather is no stranger to the region, as he is in his seventh season in charge of the North Dakota program. The Fighting Hawks went 18-14 in 2023-24, including a 10-6 mark in the Summit League. The 10-6 mark was its best conference mark since joining the Division I ranks.  Prior to taking the North Dakota job, he spent nine seasons at Northern State, guiding that program to a trio of NCAA Division II Tournaments and a runner-up finish in 2018. His teams won the Northern Sun Conference title in each of the past two seasons.

Series History: Nebraska leads the all-time series, 4-2, in a series that dates back to 1933. Nebraska won the most recent meeting 83-75 on Dec. 20, 2023. NU put six players in double figures and shot 58 percent from the floor in the second half to overcome a 14-point deficit. C.J. Wilcher's 16 points off the bench paced NU. Jamarques Lawrence had eight of his 14 points in an 11-2 spurt after UND closed to within 68-67 with 4:33 left.NU is 79-11 all-time against current members of the Summit League.

Illinois Recap
Pryce Sandfort scored a career-high 32 points while Jamarques Lawrence drained the game-winning three pointer with 0.2 seconds remaining to propel No. 23 Nebraska to an 83-80 win over Illinois.  

NU moved to 11-0 on the season to remain undefeated and log the best start in program history. The Big Red also extended its nation-leading and school-record win streak to 15 games, dating back to last season.

Sandfort scored 26 of his points in the first half, including the Huskers’ first 15 points of the game. Rienk Mast added 17 points, while Lawrence had 14, capped by his buzzer beater and dished out six assists. Jared Garcia added 10 points, all of which came in the second half.  As a team, NU shot 51.6 percent (32-of-62) from the field with a 46.2 percent (12-of-26) mark from three. The Huskers’ three-point percentage was their second-highest percentage of the season. 

After Illinois tied the game at 80 on a 3-pointer from Tomislav Ivisic with 17 seconds left, the Huskers set up the last shot when Sam Hoiberg, who had six assists, got into the lane and kicked it out to Lawrence, who drained the game winner.  Illinois tried to get a final shot, but the clock ran out to give NU its first win in Champaign since 2016.

Notes from the Illinois Win
• Nebraska improved to 11-0 on the season, marking the program’s best start in school history. 

• Nebraska won its 15th straight game, breaking the school record of 14 set two other times (1990-91 season and a 14-game span from Jan. 17, 1912, and Jan. 25, 1913.)

• It marks Nebraska’s first 2-0 start in Big Ten play since 2016-17.

• Pryce Sandfort’s 32 points is a career high, topping his previous best of 28 vs. Oklahoma on Nov. 15. His 32-point effort is a season high by any Husker (31 by Rienk Mast vs. Winthrop on Nov. 25). 

• Sandfort’s 26-point first half was two shy the school record for points in a half (28, Teddy Allen vs. Penn St., 2021)

• Nebraska had its 14th double-figure run of the season with a 11-0 run in the first half, all by Sandfort. This marked the second time this season that Sandfort had a double-digit run by himself (also vs. KSU)

• Jared Garcia had 10 points off the bench, all in the second half. It marked the 12th double-figure effort by a Husker reserve this season.

• Nebraska improved to 8-0 this season when scoring 80+ points and 5-0 when shooting at least 50 percent.

• Nebraska had 12 3-pointers, the eighth time this season Nebraska has had at least 10 3-pointers in a game this season.