Huskers Battle Hawai'i on Monday in Diamond Head Classic
The Nebraska men's basketball team looks to advance to the title game of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic as the Huskers take on host Hawai'i in the semifinals Monday night. Tipoff is set for 9:30 p.m. (central) and will be carried nationally on ESPN2 and on the Huskers Radio Network. The radio feed will also be available on Huskers.com and the Huskers app, while the TV feed will be available on ESPN.com.
The Huskers (8-2) relied on a strong defensive effort in posting a 66-49 win over Murray State on Sunday. Nebraska held the Racers to 14 percent shooting in the first half in jumping out to a 34-14 halftime lead and cruising to the 17-point win. NU held Murray State to a season-low 49 points, nearly 30 points below its season average, and enjoyed a 40-26 advantage on the glass.
Offensively, Connor Essegian led the Huskers with 15 points off the bench while Andrew Morgan collected his first double-double of the season with 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting and 12 rebounds in 23 minutes. Morgan has played solid basketball in December, averaging 12.8 points on 58 percent shooting and 8.3 rebounds per game over the Huskers' last four contests. Nebraska's strength is its balance with three players averaging double figures, led by 17.9 ppg by Brice Williams, and three others averaging at least 7.8 ppg. Nebraska put three players in double figures in Sunday's win while Williams was held to a season-low nine points.
Hawai'i (7-3) advanced to the semifinals following a 78-61 win over Charlotte. Gytis Nemeiksa led the Rainbow Warriors with 24 points and seven rebounds, while Marcus Greene chipped in 22 points as Hawai'i shot 54 percent from the field.
Monday's meeting between the two schools is the first since the 2014 Diamond Head Classic. Hawai'i leads, 7-2 with all nine previous meetings taking place in Honolulu.
Last Night's Game
Andrew Morgan and Connor Essegian combined for 27 points off the bench, while Nebraska’s defense held Murray State to a season-low point total in a 66-49 win in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic Sunday evening.
Morgan posted his first double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Essegian led Nebraska (8-2) with 15 points, including five 3-pointers. In all, NU’s bench outscored the Racers, 29-11.
The Huskers held Murray State to 31 percent shooting, including just 4-of-28 in the first half as Nebraska built a 20-point halftime lead and led by double figures most of the night. NU held the Racers (6-5) to nearly 30 points below their season average.
Rollie Worster was the third Husker in double figures with 11 points, as Nebraska shot nearly 50 percent from the field and enjoyed a 40-26 advantage on the glass.
Worth Noting
• Nebraska will look to advance to its first tournament final since the 2018 Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City.
• Nebraska has made significant strides offensively in recent weeks. NU is averaging 79.3 ppg over its last six games on nearly 50 percent shooting and averaging just 10.8 turnovers per game in that stretch. During the first four games, NU averaged 13.5 turnovers per game.
• Nebraska has gotten great production from its bench in the early going, averaging 28.2 points per game over the first nine games. NU's bench had 29 points in the win over Murray State. Nebraska has gotten 12 double-figure efforts from its bench this season (Morgan-6, Essegian-5; Ulis-1).
• With his 30-point outburst vs. Indiana on Dec. 13, Williams became the 12th Husker to have at least one 30-point game in the Big Ten era (2011-12 to present).
• Over the last two-plus seasons, Nebraska has been exceptional when holding opponents to 70 points or less. The Huskers are 37-4 (.909) when holding opponents to 70 points, including 33 straight wins.
• Connor Essegian has proved to be an impact transfer for the Huskers. The 6-foot-4 guard is averaging a career-high 13.0 points per game on nearly 48 percent shooting while pacing the Huskers in 3-pointers with 27. He ranks second in the Big Ten with 2.7 3-pointers per game and 3-point percentage (.450) entering Monday's action.