History Made: Nebraska Wins First-Ever NCAA Tournament Game 76-47

OKLAHOMA CITY — For 127 years, Nebraska basketball carried an unwanted distinction: the only power conference program in America to have never won an NCAA Tournament game. On Thursday night, the Huskers didn't just end the drought — they obliterated it.

Nebraska routed Troy 76-47 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, a wire-to-wire demolition that was never in doubt from the opening tip. The Huskers led by 30 at halftime and coasted through the second half as the scarlet-clad crowd in Oklahoma City celebrated every bucket.

Brice Williams was simply unstoppable in the first half, pouring in 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting before the break. He finished with 24 points in just 26 minutes as Hoiberg pulled his starters midway through the second half with the game long decided. The team shot 58% from the field and held Troy to just 29% shooting.

"I know the first question everyone's going to ask," Fred Hoiberg said with a grin in the postgame presser, anticipating the historical angle. "Yes, it feels incredible. But I'm more proud of how we won than the fact that we won. That was a complete performance on both ends."

The 30-point halftime lead was the largest in Nebraska basketball's tournament history — admittedly a short history, but a dominant start to a new chapter. The defense forced 19 turnovers and held Troy scoreless for a stretch of nearly six minutes in the first half.

Sam Hoiberg, the coach's son and a fan favorite, checked in to a roaring ovation midway through the second half and promptly drained a three-pointer. "That's what I've been dreaming of my whole life," the younger Hoiberg said. "Hitting a shot in the NCAA Tournament wearing a Nebraska jersey. It doesn't get better than that."

The crowd reaction at the final buzzer was part celebration, part catharsis. Fans who had followed Nebraska basketball through decades of frustration finally had their moment. The monkey is off the back, and these Huskers are just getting started.