Juwan Gary scored a season-high 19 points and dished out a career-high five assists, as Nebraska topped FDU, 86-60, Wednesday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Gary led three Huskers in double figures with his 19-point night to pace three in double figures, it was NU’s depth that shined in the win. NU got 29 points from its bench, including eight apiece from Gavin Griffiths and Ahron Ulis, as NU’s bench enjoyed a 29-5 advantage in the win.
Berke Büyüktuncel joined Gary in double figures with 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while Brice Williams had 10 points, including five straight in a 13-2 Husker run after FDU pulled to within 11 points with just over 11 minutes.
Nebraska was opportunistic, turning 17 Knight turnovers into 28 points as NU held FDU to 60 points, nearly 25 points below its season average.
Terrence Brown led the Knights (1-3) with a game-high 23 points.
The Huskers took control over the final 12 minutes of the half, turning a one-point lead into a 45-25 lead at the break. Nebraska, which struggled from the floor early, got going as Gary’s jumper ignited a 10-0 run that pushed the lead to 21-10 after a basket from Ulis.
FDU stayed within striking distance and was within 32-21 after Dylan Jones’ jumper with 5:26 left in the half, before a basket from Rollie Worster and a 3-pointer from Connor Essegian stretched the lead to 37-21. From there, it was the Husker bench that provided a spark, as Sam Hoiberg and Cale Jacobsen – seeing his first action of the year – helped hold FDU to one field goal over the final five minutes of the half as Nebraska closed the half on an 8-2 spurt to take a 45-25 lead into the break.
The Knights opened the second half with a 6-0 run to get within 14 in the first 1:25 of the half. FDU kept chipping away behind Brown, who had 19 second half points, and got to within 58-49 after Ahmed Barba -Bay banked in a 3-pointer with 11:02 left.
Williams took over from there, accounting for seven straight Husker points over the next 65 seconds to give the hosts some breathing room. The senior had a 3-point play off the inbounds after the media time out and converted a pair of free throws on the next possession before ending the run with a steal and finding Griffiths for a layup that gave NU a 16-point cushion. That was part of a 13-2 run that stretched the lead back to 20 points with 5:26 left and put the game out of reach.
The Huskers hit the road for the first time this season, as they travel to Sioux Falls, S.D., for a matchup against Saint Mary’s on Sunday. Tipoff is set for Noon (central) and a handful of tickets are available by visiting Ticketmaster.com
