Nebraska Advances to Sweet 16: Huskers Survive Vanderbilt Thriller

OKLAHOMA CITY — With 2.2 seconds left and the season on the line, Braden Frager drove baseline past two Vanderbilt defenders and kissed a layup off the glass to give Nebraska a 74-72 victory and a spot in the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.

"I'm still shaking," head coach Fred Hoiberg said in the postgame press conference, his voice cracking. "These kids have done something nobody thought was possible. Not just this game — this entire season."

Brice Williams led all scorers with 26 points and 7 rebounds, carrying the Huskers through a second half in which Vanderbilt erased a 12-point deficit and briefly took the lead at 72-71 with 38 seconds remaining. Williams answered with a driving bucket to retake the lead before Vanderbilt's final possession ended with a turnover and the Frager heroics.

Juwan Gary added 18 points and 5 assists, including a crucial three-pointer in the first half that sparked an 11-0 run. "We've been in these moments all year," Gary said. "We knew we weren't going home."

The Huskers will face Iowa in the Sweet 16 on March 26 at 7:30 PM ET on TBS. It's a matchup that carries extra weight — Hoiberg spent years in the Big Ten building relationships and rivalries with Iowa's program.

The atmosphere inside the Paycom Center was electric, with thousands of Nebraska fans making the trip to Oklahoma City. Sam Hoiberg, who scored 8 points off the bench, described the scene: "I looked up into the stands after Braden's shot and saw my dad jumping up and down. That's what I've been dreaming of since I was a kid watching him coach."

Nebraska's Sweet 16 appearance caps a stunning rise for a program that won just 7 games three seasons ago. The Huskers are now 27-5 and riding a wave of momentum that shows no signs of slowing down.