Sandfort, Defense Lead Huskers Past Providence

Pryce Sandfort had a game-high 25 points to lead four Huskers in double figures, as Nebraska clamped down on Providence, 67-58, Saturday evening in the Hall of Fame Tip-off

Sandfort earned game MVP honors, hitting 9-of-14 shots while dishing out four assists and three steals as the Huskers improved to 2-0 on the season. Boden Kapke (13), Braden Frager (12) and Cale Jacobsen (11) all finished in double figures, as Nebraska took the lead for good in the first half and extended the margin throughout the second half.

Nebraska’s defense was the story on Saturday, as the Huskers held Providence (1-1) to 30.6 percent shooting and forced 18 Friar turnovers that led to 20 Husker points.

Nebraska put on a strong defensive effort in the first half, holding Providence to 29 percent shooting in talking a 30-25 lead into the break. The Huskers got 12 points from Sandfort and 11 from Kapke, who was a perfect 5-of-5 from the field in the opening 20 minutes.

Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, and the Huskers trailed 16-12 after a Devin Vanterpool 3-pointer at the 11:23 mark before getting untracked offensively. A Sandfort 3-pointer got the Husker going before baskets from Kapke and Sandfort capped a 7-0 run in a span of 1:16 to give NU a 19-16 lead

Providence tied it at 19-all after Leonardo Marangon’s 3-pointer, but the Huskers would respond with an 11-0 run, holding the Friars scoreless for nearly four minutes. Sandfort and Kapke keyed the run, combining for nine points, including back-to-back baskets from Kapke to extend the Huske lead to 30-11 with 2:02 left in the half.

Providence would chip away in the final two minutes of the half, as a four-point play from Devin Vanterpool and a pair of free throws from Miles Byrd cut the Husker advantage to six at the break

Nebraska got off to a strong start in the first two minutes of the second half, using an 8-2 run to build an 11-point lead, at 38-27, after a Sandfort layup with 18:02 remaining.

Providence cut the deficit to 47-41 after a Ryan Mela 3-pointer, but the Huskers came right back with a 6-0 run including a basket from Cale Jacobsen before Taj DeGourville stole the inbounds pass and found Damon Wilkinson for layup. Sandfort than capped the run with a slam to extend the lead to 12 and force the Friars to take timeout.

From there, the Huskers kept the lead in double figures until the final 30 seconds, quieting a pro-Providence crowd of 7,654.

Marangon led Providence with 12 points, while Vanterpool added 11 points and six boards off the bench

The Huskers return home next Wednesday, Nov. 11, as they host Lindenwood. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. (central) and will be carried on FS1 and the Huskers Radio Network. Tickets are available for the matchup by visiting Huskers.com/tickets.