The nation’s longest active win streak is in play once again when Nebraska hosts South Carolina Upstate in a nonconference game on Saturday afternoon in Lincoln, Neb.
The Cornhuskers (7-0) have won 11 in a row, including four straight to end last season to claim the College Basketball Crown postseason tournament. Another victory will make it the longest win streak since a school-record 14-game run in 1990-91, while an 8-0 start will be their best to open a season since 1977-78.
Nebraska is averaging 86.6 points per game, its best scoring rate since 1993-94, led by senior forward Rienk Mast at 18.3 per night. Mast had 31 in the last game, an 80-73 win against Winthrop, and also has recorded a triple-double this season.
But the Cornhuskers were outrebounded by Winthrop and have struggled on the boards all season.
“We have to set the tone from a physicality standpoint,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said, noting the absence of forward Berke Buyunktuncel with a sprained ankle had an impact against Winthrop. “He’s our best defensive rebounder. He does a lot of really good things on the court that don’t show up in the box score.”
USC Upstate (4-4) is coming off a 15-point home win over North Carolina Central, a game that saw the Spartans assist on 20 of 27 field goals.
“We played as a group today,” Spartans coach Marty Richter said. “That’s been the message the last couple of days, you’ve got to go from good shot to great shot.”
Upstate has two guards averaging 15 points per game in Mason Bendinger and Carmelo Adkins, with Adkins shooting 48.1% from 3-point range. The Spartans hold opponents to 28.1% from 3 but Nebraska is a different animal in that area, taking nearly 33 triples per game.
Nebraska has won 18 consecutive nonconference home games. USC Upstate, which won at Fresno State earlier this month, last beat a power conference team in 2014 at Georgia Tech.
–Field Level Media
