LINCOLN, Neb. – Jhivvan Jackson led all scorers with 26 points in 27 minutes off the bench and the Roadrunners connected on 15 3-pointers for the second straight game, but it was not enough to overcome 37 made Nebraska free throws as the Cornhuskers pulled away late to down UTSA 104-94 Wednesday evening at PinnacleBank Arena.
Nebraska (8-5) shot 50 free throws to the Roadrunners' 10. UTSA (7-6) made seven more field goals, but the Huskers also controlled the boards 44-34 and had a four-point advantage in second-chance points.
Jackson scored his 26 on nine field goals, including five 3-pointers, and three at the free-throw line. He was joined in double-figures by Nebraska native Deon Lyle with 15 on five threes, Nick Allen with 12 and 10 each from Byron Frohnen and Keaton Wallace.
Nebraska was led by James Palmer Jr.'s 25 points on five field goals and 13 free throws. Anton Gill poured in 21, Evan Taylor added 16, Glynn Watson Jr. had 3 and Isaiah Roby chipped in 10 as the Cornhuskers broke the 100-point plateau for the first time in more than a decade.
The Roadrunners closed the game shooting 45 percent (35 of 78), including a season-best 48 percent (15 of 31) from 3-point range. Nebraska made 51 percent (28 of 55) of its field goals and 74 percent (37 of 50) at the line. Both squads scored 32 points in the paint.
UTSA outscored Nebraska 6-2 in the initial 2:05 of the second half to cut its seven-point halftime deficit to 53-51 as Allen knocked down a three from the top of the arc. The Huskers responded by building its lead back to 11 points at 66-55 with a Thomas Allen corner three.
However, UTSA would answer with a 15-4 run over the next four minutes to tie the game at 70 on an Allen dunk on a drive down the left baseline. The teams exchanged two leads and three ties in the ensuing seven minutes before Jackson tied the game for a final time at 86 with a transition three from the left wing.
Nebraska's Gill answered with the game's next six points on a triple of his own and three at the line to spark a 9-0 Cornhusker run that left the Roadrunners down 95-86 1:51 to go in regulation. UTSA would get no closer as the Huskers created the final separation on the scoreboard with 10 free throws.
Jackson tied the game at 17 eight minutes into the contest, but the Roadrunners would go cold over the next three-plus minutes as Nebraska reached its first double-digit lead with a 10-0 run that included four points at the free-throw line. The Cornhuskers extended their lead to as many as 14 at on the second of two Taylor free throws with 4:25 to go in the opening stanza. UTSA closed the half outscoring Nebraska 14-7, including a quick 9-3 run, to trim the home standing Huskers' lead to 49-42 at the break.
MISC.
- UTSA secured it first winning non-conference record since the 2011-12 team also went 7-6 en route to a 18-14 overall mark.
- The 94 points scored by UTSA were the most surrendered by Nebraska this season (previous was 86 against Michigan State).
- UTSA's 15 made 3-pointers set the PinncaleBank Arena record.
Up next
The Roadrunners return to the Convocation Center to open Conference USA play against Rice and North Texas. UTSA hosts Rice on Thursday, Dec. 28 at 7 p.m., while North Texas comes to the Alamo City on Saturday, Dec. 30 for a 7 p.m. tipoff.