In LAS VEGAS, Nebraska’s senior player Brice Williams made an impressive contribution as the Cornhuskers claimed victory over UCF in the championship game of the College Basketball Crown at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday. Williams scored 21 points, helping Nebraska secure a 77-66 win. This performance allowed him to set a new single-season scoring record for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, surpassing James Palmer Jr.’s previous record from the 2018-19 season by five points.
Williams’ shooting accuracy was evident as he made 6 of 14 shots, including three 3-pointers, and successfully sank 6 of 8 free throws. Nebraska, now holding a 21-14 record, also benefited from the reliable performance of Connor Essegian. Essegian matched Williams’ scoring with 21 points, making 8 of 16 shots and sinking four 3-pointers. Juwan Gary was also pivotal, scoring 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting and grabbing eight rebounds.
On the opposing team, UCF’s Jordan Ivy-Curry delivered an outstanding performance from the bench, establishing a season-high of 29 points. He was effective with 12 of 22 shots made, including 3 of 9 from beyond the arc. Other notable contributions came from Nils Machowski with 13 points and six rebounds, while Moustapha Thiam added nine points and dominated the boards with 11 rebounds.
The game began with Nebraska taking an early lead as Williams hit two 3-pointers, pushing the Cornhuskers to a 15-9 advantage in the first eight minutes. Despite Nebraska’s lead widening to as much as 12 points, UCF leveled the score at 33 with Darius Johnson’s free throws just before halftime. A quiet period followed until Gary’s free throws broke the stalemate, but a layup by UCF’s Dallan Coleman resulted in a tied game at 35 going into the break.
UCF surged early in the second half with a 14-point run, led by Tyler Hendricks’ 3-pointer, taking a lead they hadn’t held since an early 3-0. However, Nebraska bounced back after enduring a scoreless stretch until the 14:36 mark when Gary executed a layup, igniting an 11-0 run and closing the gap to three points. Essegian’s back-to-back 3-pointers later equalized the scores at 52, and Andrew Morgan contributed consecutively with two dunks, ensuring Nebraska maintained a lead for the remaining 9:48 of the game.
Earlier in the season, Williams also achieved Nebraska’s single-game scoring record, dropping 43 points during a thrilling 116-114 double-overtime road loss to Ohio State on March 4.