LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Cornhuskers showcased a strong performance on Monday night, clearly dominating their match against Southern with a commanding score of 77-43. Reserve player Connor Essegian equaled his personal record by sinking six 3-pointers and finishing the game with 20 points.

Brice Williams, who has been on a scoring spree averaging 24 points over the past four games, contributed 11 points to the team’s success and crossed the significant milestone of 1,500 career points. Andrew Morgan added another 10 points for Nebraska, which has now secured five consecutive victories, with three of those opponents failing to score over 60 points.

On the Southern side, Jayce DePron was the standout, accumulating 13 points. However, the team struggled significantly, particularly in the first half, where Nebraska’s defense held them to just 22% shooting and a disappointing 0 for 11 from beyond the arc by halftime. This defensive effort allowed Nebraska to secure a commanding 39-15 lead at the intermission.

The game kicked off with Williams hitting a 3-pointer, setting the tone as Nebraska took control early and never looked back. Essegian’s explosive three-pointers fueled an impressive 11-0 run, pushing the score to 30-8 at one point, while he ended the first half with 11 points.

In the second half, Essegian continued to shine, hitting another 3-pointer that extended Nebraska’s lead to 53-23. Gavin Griffiths also joined the scoring frenzy, nailing two 3-pointers and contributing eight points in the final minutes, helping Nebraska close the game with a stunning 10-0 run.

Overall, Nebraska’s shooting was impressive at 49%, while Southern struggled, hitting only 25% of their shots overall and converting just 6 of 16 free throws. Nebraska now stands at 1-1 in the Big Ten and is set to face No. 15 UCLA in their next conference matchup on Saturday. Meanwhile, Southern will take on Texas Southern on Saturday as they embark on their journey in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.