03/21/26 10:52:00
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03/21 22:51 CDT Frager's layup puts Nebraska ahead and Huskers reach Sweet 16
when Tanner's heave rims out for Vandy
Frager's layup puts Nebraska ahead and Huskers reach Sweet 16 when Tanner's
heave rims out for Vandy
By CLIFF BRUNT
AP Sports Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) --- Braden Frager made a driving layup with 2.2 seconds
left, and Nebraska advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time, outlasting
Vanderbilt 74-72 in a scintillating second-round NCAA Tournament game on
Saturday night when Tyler Tanner's heave from beyond half court rimmed out at
the buzzer.
Frager finished with 15 points and Pryce Sandfort also scored 15 for the
fourth-seeded Cornhuskers (28-6), who had never won in March Madness until
beating Troy two days ago. Nebraska advances to the South Region semifinals in
Houston, where it will face either top-seeded Florida or ninth-seeded Iowa on
Thursday.
Tanner scored 27 points and Tyler Nickel added 16 for No. 5 seed Vanderbilt
(25-9), which was trying to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2007.
Rienk Mast added 13 points for the Huskers. Sam Hoiberg, coach Fred Hoiberg's
son, finished with eight points, none bigger than his putback with 1:20 to go
that tied the game at 70-all. The teams traded the lead four times over the
final 2:08.
Cornhuskers fans took over Paycom Center, just like they did in the first
round. "Husker Power!" chants broke out during the second half of Houston's win
over Texas A&M, about an hour before the Nebraska game tipped off.
Duke Miles, the Commodores' No. 2 scorer, had his left thumb taped and was held
to nine points. His quiet night put the scoring burden on Tanner, whose layup
with 58 seconds left gave Vanderbilt its final lead at 72-70.
The Cornhuskers broke out to an 8-0 lead. Mast, Nebraska's 6-foot-10, 250-pound
center, made two 3-pointers in the first five minutes.
Sandfort did not score until just over five minutes remained in the first half,
but his turnaround jumper put the Cornhuskers up 27-19. Nebraska led 39-32 at
halftime, despite Tanner's 15 points.
Vanderbilt chipped away in the second half. Tanner made a layup and was fouled
with 9:05 remaining. He missed the free throw, preventing the Commodores from
taking their first lead. Moments later, AK Okereke's 3-pointer finally put
Vanderbilt ahead, 58-55.
Vandy pulled in front 67-62, its largest lead of the game, on a 3 by Nickel
with 5:34 left. Sandfort responded with a jumper and the margin was no bigger
than three points the rest of the way.
Hoiberg, the Big Ten coach of the year, has overseen steady improvement over
his seven years at Nebraska. He took the Huskers to the NCAA Tournament two
years ago, and this season Nebraska got national attention for a 20-0 start
that vaulted it to No. 5 in the AP poll.
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and
coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
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