In a thriller that came down to the wire, the Nebraska Huskers outlasted the Kansas State Wildcats 86-85 to capture the Hall of Fame Classic championship on Friday night. The win capped a dramatic comeback and extended Nebraska’s nation-leading winning streak to 10 games, their longest since the 2010-11 season.
The game hung in the balance with seconds ticking away. With the score tied, Pryce Sandfort launched a jumper that missed, but Sam Hoiberg corralled the offensive rebound and drew a foul. Hoiberg calmly sank the first free throw with just 0.6 seconds left, putting the Huskers ahead. He then intentionally missed the second, grabbing the rebound himself to run out the clock. Kansas State called timeout, but officials reviewed the play and reset the clock to 0.9 seconds. On the inbounds, Sandfort swatted away the pass, sealing the victory in a moment of pure chaos and clutch defense.
Nebraska’s offense hummed at 54.1 percent from the field—their third game this season shooting 50 percent or better—fueled by four players in double figures. Sandfort led the charge with a game-high 21 points, his fourth scoring crown of the young season and marking the third straight game with multiple 20-point scorers for the Huskers. Rienk Mast added 20 points on efficient shooting, his second 20-point outing of the year and 14th of his career, while averaging 18.5 points and 4.0 rebounds across the tournament. Off the bench, Braden Frager erupted for 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, earning MVP honors for his 18.0-point average on 72 percent shooting over two games. Hoiberg rounded out the scoring with 13 points on perfect 6-of-6 shooting, including three steals and the dagger free throw—his second double-digit performance this season.
Kansas State kept it close behind a scorching hot backcourt. PJ Haggerty poured in 27 points to pace the Wildcats, while Abdi Bashir Jr. nearly matched him with 26 points, sinking seven 3-pointers in a barrage that tested Nebraska’s defense all night.
The Huskers’ resilience shone through in a first-half 15-0 run, highlighted by 11 straight points from Sandfort, marking Nebraska’s ninth double-figure spurt of the season. Mast and Frager joined Sandfort on the all-tournament team, underscoring the depth that has propelled Nebraska to 17 straight non-conference wins—the longest active streak in the nation.
Under coach Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska now stands 43-10 when eclipsing 80 points, including a blistering 34-7 mark over the last three years. As the Huskers celebrate their first Hall of Fame Classic crown, they enter Big Ten play riding high, with eyes on extending that historic streak even further.