College Basketball

Nebraska Basketball: Huskers Lose A Heartbreaker To Ohio State

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:49 p.m. ET

Fansided, Evan Hummel/FanSided via Husker Corner

The Ohio State Buckeyes handed the Nebraska basketball team a 67-66 defeat in the final seconds of a Wednesday night showdown. The loss drops Nebraska to 3-3 in Big Ten play and leaves Huskers reeling. However, the Big Red has little time to recover from this gut punch.

Heartbreak City

Nebraska has experienced its share of tough losses this season. This one might be the toughest aside from Gardner-Webb.

After senior guard Tai Webster put the Huskers ahead with less than 35 seconds left, the Buckeyes were given one last chance with 1.9 seconds on the clock. They would capitalize.

Ohio State scored from an inbounds pass underneath the basket after Glynn Watson Jr. slipped forcing Tai Webster to leave forward Marc Loving wide open for the easy lay-up. In the end, that would put the Buckeyes ahead for good 67-66 and hand the Huskers their third straight loss, dropping Nebraska to 9-9 overall.

Webster Leads The Way, But It Wasn’t Enough

Webster led the Huskers with 18 points, but for all he did Nebraska fell short. The Huskers shot 42 percent from the field and just 24 percent from three-point range. Ohio State shot slightly better, going 47 percent from field goal range.

Free Throws Haunt Nebraska Again

In addition to falling short on the scoreboard, Nebraska did so at the free throw line, shooting a poor 55 percent. Struggles at the line down the stretch have been an Achilles heel of this team. Even in wins, the Huskers have failed to convert often–notably during an overtime win against Iowa.

Here Comes Rutgers

After a hot start in conference play, the Huskers now find themselves at a crossroads. A win at Rutgers could right the ship for now. Here’s a look at who the Cornhuskers will face in the Rutger Scarlet Knights.

A Work-In-Progress

The good news for the Huskers is they face a team that hasn’t won a Big Ten game. Despite the rough start in conference play, Rutgers still has an 11-8 record. They come fresh off of a shellacking from Indiana, 76-57. It wasn’t all ugly, though. The Scarlet Knights out-rebounded the Hoosiers 38-29, becoming the first team to do so all season.

Rutgers shot around 44 percent for the game, but just 17 percent from downtown and the 21 turnovers didn’t help either, sealing their fate against a talented Indiana team.

The Knights were led by Corey Sanders, who scored a team-high 17 points and secured four rebounds.

Rutgers is coached by first-year coach Steve Pikiell. He’s a product of former UConn head coach Jim Calhoun having played and coached under the legendary head man.

How The Huskers Win

If Nebraska wants to get back on track, it’s imperative that they limit turnovers and start hitting shots from charity stripe.

If not, The Huskers could be facing a 3-4 conference record. Something few thought would happen after three straight conference wins to start the season. That’s what happens when you take Ed Morrow out of the equation, though.

When And Where To Catch The Game: Saturday, Jan. 21 at 11 a.m. on ESPNU