HONOLULU — Brice Williams had an impressive performance, matching his career-best by scoring 32 points, while Juwon Gary also contributed significantly with a season-high of 21 points, leading Nebraska to a 69-55 win over Hawaii on Monday night. This victory propels the Cornhuskers into the championship game of the Diamond Head Classic.
With this win, Nebraska improved its record to 9-2 and will face off against Oregon State on Christmas Day for the tournament’s title. In contrast, Hawaii, now at 7-4, will compete against Oakland for the third-place spot on the same day.
Williams displayed remarkable efficiency, connecting on 10 of 18 attempts from the field, including four from beyond the arc, and converting all eight of his free throw attempts. Meanwhile, Gary shot 80 percent, making 8 of 10 field goal attempts with three three-pointers and successfully hitting both of his free throws. This win marks the third consecutive victory for the Cornhuskers, who aim for their first tournament title since the 2018 Hall of Fame Classic.
In the first half, Williams scored 11 points, while Gary added eight, helping Nebraska secure a narrow 29-27 lead at halftime. Hawaii’s Marcus Greene made nine points to keep his team in contention.
During the second half, Williams and Gary showed exceptional teamwork, combining for 34 of Nebraska’s 40 points. The veteran pair shot an impressive 13 of 18, in stark contrast to their teammates, who hit only 3 of 9. Hawaii opened the second half strongly with four quick points to take the lead, but Williams responded with a layup followed by a three-pointer, putting Nebraska ahead for good.
Greene led Hawaii with 11 points, while both Kody Williams and Akira Jacobs chipped in with 10 points each. Notably, Nebraska has maintained a remarkable record, winning 34 consecutive games when limiting their opponents to 70 points or fewer.
In terms of historical matchups, Hawaii currently leads the all-time series against Nebraska with a record of 7-3, and all ten games have taken place in Honolulu. The teams had not faced each other since the event held in 2014.
