McKenney makes go-ahead layup as No. 3 Michigan hands No. 5 Nebraska its first loss, 75-72

Updated Jan. 27, 2026 10:10 p.m. ET

Associated Press

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Trey McKenney made a tiebreaking layup with 1:07 left and No. 3 Michigan rallied past No. 5 Nebraska 75-72 on Tuesday night to hand the Cornhuskers their first loss this season.

Morez Johnson Jr. had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Wolverines (19-1, 9-1 Big Ten), who trailed for 36-plus minutes before holding Nebraska scoreless over the final 3:20.

Jamarques Lawrence missed a 3-pointer with 4 seconds remaining for the short-handed Cornhuskers (20-1, 9-1), and Sam Hoiberg missed a jumper just before the buzzer.

Nebraska had won 24 straight games dating to last season, including four victories in the inaugural College Basketball Crown tournament at Las Vegas last April. That was the longest winning streak in Division I since the 2014-15 Kentucky team went 38-0 before losing to Wisconsin in the Final Four.

The previous defeat for the Cornhuskers came in their regular-season finale last year, 83-68 to Iowa at home on March 9.

McKenney had 11 points for Michigan off the bench. Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara scored 10 apiece.

Lawrence scored 16 of his 20 points in the opening 10 minutes. Pryce Sandfort also finished with 20 points for Nebraska, and Hoiberg had 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Nebraska played without forward Rienk Mast, who warmed up for the game but sat out with an illness. Cornhuskers forward Braden Frager missed his second consecutive game with a sprained right ankle.

Nebraska was 10 of 19 on 3-pointers in the first half and led by 11 before taking a 50-48 advantage into the break. But the Cornhuskers made only one shot from beyond the arc in the second half.

Up next

Nebraska hosts No. 9 Illinois on Sunday.

Michigan visits seventh-ranked Michigan State on Friday.

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