BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
Berke Buyuktuncel recorded a triple-double and helped No. 15 Nebraska shake off a sluggish start, as the Huskers pulled away in the second half for a 78-55 victory over North Dakota on Sunday night.
Buyuktuncel finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, orchestrating Nebraska’s offense and anchoring its defense as the Huskers improved to 12-0. The undefeated start marks the best opening stretch in program history, further strengthening Nebraska’s early-season résumé.
After struggling to find a rhythm in the opening half, Nebraska flipped the game immediately after the break. The Huskers opened the second half on a decisive 19-6 run, taking their first lead just over a minute in when Buyuktuncel converted a free throw. Moments later, Jamarques Lawrence buried a 3-pointer to push Nebraska ahead by four and signal a shift in momentum.
Braden Frager provided a spark off the bench, leading all scorers with 17 points. Sam Hoiberg added 15 points, while Lawrence chipped in 13 as Nebraska showcased its depth and balance once the shots began to fall.
North Dakota briefly regained the lead when Garrett Anderson knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 31-30 with 16:22 remaining, but the advantage was short-lived. Buyuktuncel, Lawrence and Hoiberg responded with a combined scoring burst that fueled a 13-0 Nebraska run. Lawrence capped the surge with a jumper that stretched the lead to 43-32 with just over 11 minutes left.
From there, Nebraska steadily widened the gap, leaning on defensive pressure and improved shooting efficiency. The Huskers built their largest lead of the night at 25 points and never allowed North Dakota to get closer than 10 over the final nine minutes.
Eli King led North Dakota with 13 points, while Marley Curtis added 10 for the Fighting Hawks, who dropped to 5-10 on the season.
Nebraska will look to maintain its unbeaten run when it returns home to host New Hampshire on Dec. 30. North Dakota is scheduled to host Dakota State on Dec. 28.
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