No. 10 Nebraska Survives Late Ohio State Push, Wins 72–69.

Columbus, Ohio — Nebraska continued its historic start to the season Monday night, fending off a late Ohio State rally for a 72–69 victory to remain unbeaten. Braden Frager provided a spark off the bench with 15 points, helping the 10th-ranked Cornhuskers improve to 15–0 overall and 4–0 in Big Ten play. Rienk Mast contributed 12 points, while Jamarques Lawrence and Pryce Sandfort each added 11. Ohio State was led by John Mobley Jr., who finished with 22 points. Bruce Thornton scored 16, and Devin Royal chipped in 14 for the Buckeyes, who dropped to 10–4 overall and 2–2 in conference play. Playing as a top-10 team for the first time since 1966, Nebraska built a 14-point lead in the first half and entered halftime ahead 38–31. Ohio State responded after the break, taking its first lead of the game on Thornton’s free throws with just over 10 minutes remaining. The contest featured eight lead changes from that point forward. Nebraska regained control when Mast completed a three-point play with 4:39 left, giving the Cornhuskers a 60–58 edge. That basket sparked a 9–0 Nebraska run. Ohio State closed the gap to one on Royal’s layup with 14 seconds remaining, but Lawrence sealed the win with two free throws. Christoph Tilly’s last-second three-point attempt missed, ending the Buckeyes’ comeback hopes.

Despite shooting just 28 percent from beyond the arc, Nebraska capitalized at the free-throw line, converting 14 of 17 attempts. The Cornhuskers also held a 38–29 rebounding advantage and dominated bench scoring by a 22–0 margin. Amare Bynum recorded nine points and nine rebounds for Ohio State, which was seeking its first win over a top-10 opponent since defeating No. 4 Kentucky in December 2024.

Ohio State will travel to Oregon on Thursday, while Nebraska visits Indiana on Saturday.