Nebraska’s 16-point second-half comeback at Indiana keeps perfect season alive
The Huskers offense exploded for 56% shooting in the second half to stay perfect at 16-0.
Nebraska moves to 16-0 following a comeback win over Indiana. Robert Goddin / Imagn Images
Indiana, football school? Nebraska, basketball school? Confirmed again.
Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers are the best story in college football — one of the best ever — after a College Football Playoff semifinal blowout of Oregon on Friday to reach the championship game against Miami. But Fred Hoiberg’s Cornhuskers are the best story in men’s college basketball, and that continued with a roaring comeback from a 16-point deficit in the second half to win at Indiana 83-77.
The No. 10 Cornhuskers remain undefeated at 16-0 (5-0 Big Ten) and project as an NCAA No. 3 seed in The Athletic’s latest Bracket Watch. Adding this Quad 1 win over Darian DeVries’ Hoosiers (12-4, 3-2) is pushing Nebraska — the only Power 4 program to never win an NCAA Tournament game — closer to the 2-line. Nebraska now has road wins against Indiana, Ohio State and Illinois, along with a home win over Michigan State.
Nebraska basketball does it again. Down 16 in the second half at Assembly Hall? No problem.
The Huskers beat Indiana 83-77. Nebraska is 16-0 with five Q1 wins. Jamarques Lawrence with 27.
Should Fred Hoiberg’s team be ranked in the top 5? Oregon visits PBA on Tuesday.
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) January 10, 2026
Legendary Indiana play-by-play announcer Don Fischer made the trek from Atlanta to Bloomington, Ind., early Saturday after calling IU’s CFP win, but he did not witness the continuation of a dream weekend for Hoosiers fans. Nebraska got 27 points from Jamarques Lawrence and outscored the Hoosiers 50-28 in the final 17:29.
The turning point came when IU’s Tucker DeVries picked up two quick fouls — his third and fourth — with about 14 minutes left. Indiana got 17 points from DeVries and 32 from Lamar Wilkerson, but Nebraska’s second-half offensive execution was absurd: 56.7 percent from the floor, 8-for-16 from long range and 1.559 points per possession.
Nebraska’s perfect record was matched entering the day by just five others — Arizona, Michigan, Iowa State, Vanderbilt and Miami (Ohio).
Joe Rexrode is a senior writer for The Athletic covering college football. He previously worked at The Tennessean, Detroit Free Press and Lansing State Journal, and covered the Pyeongchang, Rio and London Olympics for USA Today. Follow Joe on Twitter @joerexrode