Nebraska Postgame Notes

• With the win, Nebraska improved to 6-0 for the first time since the 2008-09 season. The six-game winning streak is Nebraska’s longest since a six-game winning streak in January and February of 2018.
• The Huskers scored a season-high 89 points, scoring more than 80 points for the fifth time in six games. Nebraska topped 80 points for the third consecutive game, marking the first time Nebraska has scored 80 points in three straight games since November of 2019.
• The 89 points was NU’s highest total since scoring 93 at Penn State on Feb. 27, 2022.
• The Huskers’ 10-point win marked their sixth double-digit victory in six games this season. Nebraska has won six straight games by double digits for the first time since a six-game stretch in the 2010-11 season.
• Nebraska scored 52 points in the second half, the Huskers’ highest scoring half this season and the second time NU has scored 50 points in a half. The 52 points were just three shy of the Pinnacle Bank Arena record for second-half points (55 vs. UTSA on Dec. 20, 2017).
• Nebraska went 28-of-31 from the free throw line, shooting 90 percent from the charity stripe. The effort marked the first time Nebraska has shot 90 percent from the free throw line in a game since going 21-of-23 (91 percent) against Oklahoma State on Dec. 16, 2018.
• The Huskers scored on each of their first 16 possessions in the second half.
• Nebraska committed only two turnovers in the game, both of which occurred in the first three minutes of the game, as the Huskers did not turn the ball over in the game’s final 37:01. The two turnovers tied a school record for fewest turnovers in a game. It also occurred against Purdue on Jan. 16, 2013.
• Nebraska finished with 18 assists and two turnovers. Over the last two games NU has 34 assists and just eight turnovers.
• Nebraska’s bench produced 27 points, as the Huskers have gotten at least 25 points from their bench in every game this season. Nebraska’s four bench players (C.J. Wilcher, Sam Hoiberg, Juwan Gary and Jarron Coleman) each finished with a plus-minus of 10 points or larger.
• Five Huskers scored in double figures, marking the second time this season Nebraska has placed five players in double figures.
• Juwan Gary scored a career-high 20 points, topping his former career high of 19, which he reached three times previously. Gary hit 7-of-10 shots from the field and scored 13 points in the second half on 4-of-6 shooting. Gary has scored in double figures in each of his three games this season.
• Keisei Tominaga produced his first 20-point game of the season and 11th of his career, leading Nebraska with 23 points. Tominaga’s total was fueled by a 9-of-10 effort at the free throw line.
• Brice Williams scored 11 points, reaching double figures for the third straight game and for the fifth time in six games this season.
• Rienk Mast scored 10 points and has reached double figures in every game this season.
• Josiah Allick filled up the stat line with 12 points, seven rebounds a career-high-tying five assists.
• Nebraska had a 13-0 scoring run in the second half, the fifth run of 10-0 or better this season.

Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg
On the halftime message
“We challenged them. I didn’t like how that first half went, especially on the glass. I thought they beat us to a lot of balls. They made first contact. We didn’t do a good enough job initiating and they took advantage of that. We knew how good their guards were, but we talked about how relentless their bigs are on the glass. They are very physical. They are 26th in the country in shot blocking. They just really pose a lot of challenges for you with the effort they play with. Give our guys a lot of credit especially in that run. Did a really good job getting the loose ball and getting the 50-50 balls. Doing a much better job on the glass until the end when we gave them a few second-chance opportunities as well and that’s when they climbed back in. We challenged them at halftime, and I give our guys a lot of credit for responding.” 

On the sustainability of the free throw shooting 
“Some of that is personnel and making that concerted effort of trying to get the ball into the post more. Getting paint touches. Brice (Williams) does a good job of absorbing contact. Keisei (Tominaga) has a way of getting himself to the free-throw line. It was good to see Josiah (Allick) and Juwan (Gary) knock theirs down. Josiah was the one who missed there in the second half. With the personnel, we should be a team that is a high free throw attempt team.

On Josiah Allick’s performance and his big three-pointer
“I was yelling one more when Jo (Josiah Allick) hit that three. Glad he stepped up. He works on it. He’s that guy in the gym all day. He’s a perfectionist. It’s great to see him knock that down. The way he plays, the energy is just infectious. He does so many little things for our team out there.  When you have three front-line guys that play as hard as those guys do. Matar (Diop) will get us some minutes as well. He’s got that same mentality that same DNA in him.  So, if our guys continue to play with that kind of effort and go after those loose balls like Josiah and those other guys do, then we’re gonna have a chance to be pretty good.” 

Nebraska Forward Juwan Gary 
On how confident he is feeling with his jump shot
“It was kind of a tough thing playing with a brace for most of my college career. It was kind of tough because I was basically shooting with one hand. During my rehab and my shoulder stuff, my teammates would help with my confidence. I give credit to my teammates for finding me open.”

On the message to the team at halftime
“It was quick and simple. We have to play hard. They were beating us at every 50-50 ball. Crashing the glass on offensive rebounds for sure… We knew it was a great team and they were going to come out there with a spark. We had to change some things in the second half so that’s what we did. We came out of the locker room with a chip on our shoulder and fired up so that second half came with a lot of fire in us.”

Senior Guard Keisei Tominaga
On scoring on the first 16 possessions in the second half  
“I think we keep moving. We do this every single practice. We move the ball very well. We’re very unselfish. We play as a team.”

On being back from injury and getting back to a rhythm 
“It’s really tough for me to get back on the court and get in game shape. Every practice I get more confidence and get in shape. It doesn’t take me too much time.” 

Senior Guard Jarron Coleman
On what’s difficult about playing a pressure defense and how they handled it
“You got to stay at your speed. Don’t let them speed you up. I feel like their defense is made to make you play faster. That’s their strength. If you play under control it’s just another day. You just stay solid.” 

On the overall performance and taking care of the basketball 
“I feel like we have really good guards. Any time we got turnovers, everyone felt like we got a lot. We feel like we shouldn’t be turning over the ball at all. All the guards and everyone in general, but especially like me and Jamarques (Lawrence). We make sure we try to control the game and keep the ball on our side. It was good knowing the type of defense they play. Coach (Hoiberg) told us we only had two turnovers. It wasn’t surprising but it was. It was good and it was satisfying knowing that that helped us get this victory.” 

Duquesne Head Coach Keith Dambrot: 
On initial takeaways from the game
“I think he's a really good coach. They have a lot of versatility there, and they can play in a variety of ways. We played a pretty good first half and then our foul trouble. If we don't have foul trouble, I think it's a different game. So you can make your assumptions about the foul trouble. We did some dumb things and fouled, but some of them were a little questionable. Technical fouls, I got a problem with because all he said was ‘come on man’ and then I didn't cuss at him and he T’d me, so I got a problem with that. I don't think if Fred Hoiberg doesn't cuss at him, which he's so calm and nice, he probably wouldn't anyway, but I think if you don't swear at the referee and you're not really showing him up you're talking with them, you shouldn’t get a technical foul.”

On having a seasoned lineup and how that leadership influences the team
“We have to be more disciplined. We got really tired, and then we played hard, but we didn't play really smart, but that's what we've been working on. We've done it all year. I thought the first half our ball movement was really good. We did a great job of sharing the ball, and then I didn't think we shot the ball particularly well, like Dae Dae (Grant) can make those threes and he didn't really make, so I think if he makes them, it's a little different game as well. We got to get the ball inside more. I think that's the biggest thing.” 

On hopes for the rest of the season
“I just think they're a good team. I like their team. I like him. He's just a good person. I mean, I think I could play against him all night long because he's such a good guy and a good coach. I think it shows how hard of a job it is here, but they're gonna win. They're gonna win something this year.”