LINCOLN, Neb. — Brice Williams had an exceptional outing with 27 points as Nebraska surged ahead in the second half to secure a victory over UT Rio Grande Valley, finishing with an 87-67 score in their season opener on Monday night.
Williams had a mixed shooting performance, making 8 out of 18 attempts from the field, although he struggled from beyond the arc, hitting only 1 of 6 three-point shots. However, he excelled at the free-throw line, converting 10 of 11 attempts. Nebraska dominated the second half, outscoring the Vaqueros 45-31.
The Cornhuskers also featured a notable debut from Rollie Worster, a transfer from Utah, who scored 18 points while shooting an impressive 6 for 7, along with collecting nine rebounds—the highest total of the game. Additionally, Connor Essegian, who transferred from Wisconsin, contributed 13 points off the bench, and Andrew Morgan added another 10 points from the reserves.
For UT Rio Grande Valley, K.T. Raimey was the standout performer with 14 points coming off the bench. Cliff Davis supported the team with a solid performance of 12 points and seven rebounds, while both Dekedran Thorn and Tommy Gankhuyag contributed with 11 points each.
The Cornhuskers showcased a shooting percentage of 49% from the field by successfully making 28 of their 57 shots, although they struggled from three-point territory, hitting only 6 of 19 attempts (31.6%). At the charity stripe, Nebraska enjoyed a strong outing by sinking 25 of 35 free throws, whereas the Vaqueros made 6 out of 9 attempts.
In terms of overall shooting, UT Rio Grande Valley had a challenging night, finishing with a 31.75% efficiency from three-point range, hitting 13 of 41 attempts, while shooting 11 of 21 for two-pointers.
As they enter the season, Nebraska looks to build on a successful last year, having finished with a record of 23-11 and making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament under the guidance of head coach Fred Hoiberg. However, they will face challenges as All-Big Ten forward Rienk Mast is sidelined due to knee surgery performed in May.