Jacobsen, Lanier Pace Huskers at BYU

Cale Jacobsen had a team-high 15 points, while freshman Jacob Lanier added 11 off the bench as Nebraska fell at BYU, 72-61 in an exhibition game Friday night.

The Huskers rallied behind the shooting of Lanier, as the freshman had a trio of second-half 3-poiners, the last pulling NU within 63-59 with 3:26 left. Lanier had 11 points, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, and three boards in 14 minutes, while Jacobsen had 15 markers, including 9-of-10 from the foul line, for Nebraska.

The Huskers with within 65-61 after a Leo Curtis basket with just over two minutes remaining, but a 3-pointer from Bruce Branch III with 1:35 left put the Cougars ahead 68-61, as BYU scored the final seven points.

Colin Chandler led BYU with 19 points, while Robert Wright III had 17 points and seven assists as BYU put four players in double figures. Branch had 15 points, while Jaxon Kohler added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the winners.

Braden Frager and Pryce Sandford had eight points apiece for NU, while Frager also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

In the first half, the Huskers’ defense was the story, as NU held BYU to 34 percent shooting in taking a 32-28 lead into the locker room Frager led NU with eight points and seven boards in opening 20 minutes, while Jacobsen and Damon Wilkinson added seven first-half points apiece

Nebraska trailed 11-10 before a Connor Essegian basket and 3-pointers from Wilkinson and Trevan Leonhardt staked the Huskers to an 18-11 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half. BYU came right back with a 10-2 run of its own, taking a 21-20 lead on a Colin Chandler dunk.

Nebraska would come right back as a Boden Kapke 3-pointer and a Frager basket the Huskers up 25-21. The visitors would eventually push lead back to seven on a Wilkinson basket with 1:16 left before halftime

NU went 5-of-11 from 3-point range in the opening 20 minutes, while holding a 19-18 advantage on the glass in the first half.

Chandler led BYU with 10 first-half points, but BYU went just 3-of-19 from long range in the first 20 minutes.

The Cougars got hot to open the second half, going 5-of-8 from 3-point range in the first 5:30 of the second half, taking a 47-39 lead after a Robert Wright 3-pointer.   Nebraska chipped away, getting to within 49-44 after a Jacob Lanier basket with just over 11 minutes remaining.

Lanier, who had all 11 of his points in the second half, hit back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 57-54 with 6:52 left but BYU responded with six straight to extend the lead to nine at 63-54 with 4:25 left. NU would not go away as two free throws from Taj DeGourville and a Lanier 3-pointer cut the Husker deficit back to four with 3:21 left.

The Huskers will wrap up the exhibition slate on Monday, Oct. 26, when the Huskers travel to Grand Island to face Kansas State. Tipoff from a sold-out BigIron Events Center is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be carried on the Huskers Radio Network and televised by NPM and on B1G+.