Pryce Sandfort scored 23 points and Sam Hoiberg added 14 as seventh-ranked Nebraska stayed unbeaten with a 76-66 victory against Washington on Wednesday in Lincoln, Neb.
Hannes Steinbach registered a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds to pace the Huskies while Zoom Diallo added 18 points, six assists and five boards.
Washington shot 44.3% compared to 50.9% for Nebraska while trailing by as many as 18 points.
Cornhuskers forward Braden Frager, who entered the night as the team’s third-leading scorer at 12.7 points a game, played just four minutes. He appeared to land awkwardly on his left ankle after making a layup early in the first half and did not return to the game.
Frager was back on the bench after halftime, wearing street clothes and a boot on his left foot.
Nebraska (19-0, 8-0 Big Ten) regrouped and rolled just the same to extend its best start in school history. Rienk Mast had 12 points, Jamarques Lawrence chipped in 11, and Berke Buyuktuncel and Hoiberg grabbed seven rebounds each.
The Huskies (10-9, 2-6) have lost three in a row and five of six but hung with the conference leaders early. Steinbach registered the first basket of the night off an offensive rebound, and a JJ Mandaquit layup helped Washington pull within four points about 10 minutes later.
Nebraska answered with three successive treys over a two-minute span to seize control for good. Sandfort sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around one from Jared Garcia, who saw increased minutes with Frager sidelined.
Sparked by four makes from Sandfort, the Cornhuskers connected on 11-of-29 attempts from long range. After a 7-0 Huskies run brought the visitors to within 11 points midway through the second half, Nebraska channeled its touch from distance again behind back-to-back treys from Sandfort and Mast.
Sandfort has scored 20-plus points in three straight games.
Washington starter Wesley Yates III was out due to injury.
Steinbach leads the Big Ten with 11 double-doubles.
Cornhuskers coach Fred Hoiberg said after the game that the team would re-evaluate Frager on Thursday morning.
–Field Level Media
