Nebraska hands No. 15 UCLA its first Big Ten loss, 66-58
UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) attempts a shot against Nebraska center Braxton Meah (34) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Omaha, Neb. Credit: AP/Bonnie Ryan
LINCOLN, Neb. — Brice Williams scored 16 points, Andrew Morgan added 12 off the bench and Nebraska beat No. 15 UCLA 66-58 on Saturday.
The Cornhuskers (12-2, 2-1 Big Ten) won their 20th straight home game to match the school record.
The Huskers took the lead midway through the second half and turned back the Bruins (11-3, 2-1) as they tried to come back.
The Bruins were within 61-58 in the last 30 seconds, but Sam Hoiberg made two free throws and Juwan Gary blocked Dylan Andrews' layup to help preserve the win.
Tyler Bilodeau led UCLA with 15 points and Lazar Stefanovic added 10. Sebastian Mack, who scored nine points, made his first start of the season in place of the injured Eric Dailey Jr.
The Bruins shot 14.3% on 3-pointers (4 of 28), their worst mark from beyond the arc since they went 1 for 10 in a loss to Ohio State last season.
Takeaways
UCLA: The Bruins played their worst offensive game of the season in their first Big Ten game not played on the West Coast.
Nebraska guard Brice Williams (3) drives past UCLA guard Trent Perry (1) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Omaha, Neb. Credit: AP/Bonnie Ryan
Nebraska: The Huskers picked up their second win over a ranked opponent this season and should be close to entering the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2018-19.
Key moment
Morgan, the Huskers' reserve big man, followed his three-point play with a steal at halfcourt and driving reverse layup to give the Huskers the lead for good with 14:45 left.
Key stat
UCLA managed only two field goals over an eight-minute span of the second half as Nebraska's one-point deficit turned into a double-digit lead.
Up next
UCLA hosts Michigan on Tuesday. Nebraska visits Iowa on Tuesday.
