Nebraska Reaches Sweet 16 After Dramatic Victory Over Vanderbilt

Oklahoma City, OK – The Nebraska Cornhuskers are heading to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history after a thrilling 74-72 victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday night. The game came down to the wire, with a last-second layup by Nebraska’s Braden Frager sealing the win.

A Back-and-Forth Battle

Nebraska took a 39-32 lead into halftime, and at one point led by as many as 10 points. However, Vanderbilt rallied, taking a five-point lead with 5:34 remaining in the game. The Cornhuskers responded with a 6-0 run to regain the lead, but the Commodores edged ahead again, leading 72-70 with under a minute to play after a layup by Tyler Tanner.

Frager’s Late Layup and a Heartbreaking Finish for Vanderbilt

Rienk Mast tied the game with a putback with 37 seconds left. Vanderbilt missed a shot to take the lead, and Nebraska capitalized. Pryce Sandfort found Braden Frager, who drove to the basket for a contested layup with 2.2 seconds remaining, giving Nebraska a 74-72 advantage.

Vanderbilt had one last chance, but a desperation heave from beyond half-court by Tyler Tanner rimmed out as time expired. The shot, reminiscent of Gordon Hayward’s near-miss in the 2010 national championship game, left players and fans in disbelief.

Firsts for Nebraska

This victory marks several milestones for the Nebraska program. It’s their first-ever NCAA Tournament win, having previously gone 0-8 in tournament appearances. And now, they’ve secured their first Sweet 16 berth after eight prior attempts.

Key Performances

Tyler Tanner led all scorers with 27 points for Vanderbilt, even as Tyler Nickel added 16. For Nebraska, Braden Frager and Pryce Sandfort each scored 15 points. Rienk Mast contributed 13 points, and Sam Hoiberg added eight, including a crucial putback that tied the game late in the second half.

Looking Ahead

Nebraska (28-6) will advance to the South Regional semifinals in Houston, where they will face the winner of Sunday’s game between No. 1 seed Florida and No. 9 seed Iowa. Vanderbilt finishes the season with a 27-9 record.