Welcome to the NCAA Tournament win column, Nebraska.
The No. 4 seed Cornhuskers dominated Troy 76-47 in the first round of March Madness on Thursday, March 19, winning in the Men’s NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.. They were previously the only Power conference team without a win in the big dance.
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REQUIRED READING: Nebraska vs Troy score: Huskers get first March Madness win
Nebraska made 14 3-pointers in the game, led by leading scorer Peyton Sandfort’s 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting with a 7-of-12 mark from 3-point range. Starting forward Rienk Mask added 11 points with six rebounds and seven assists.
Cornhuskers fans appeared in droves for the game in Oklahoma City, taking over the Paycom Center, where the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder play. “Go Big Red” chants bellowed at the arena after Nebraska’s win.
Nebraska was previously 0-8 in NCAA Tournament games, last losing in 2024 to No. 9 Texas A&M in the first round despite being the higher seed. It lost in the first round every NCAA Tournament from 1991-94, despite being the higher seed in three of the four games.
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Seventh-year coach Fred Hoiberg, the former Iowa State and Chicago Bulls head coach, was considered to be on the hot seat entering the season after leading Nebraska to one NCAA Tournament in his first six years at the helm. But after the Cornhuskers won the inaugural Crown Basketball Championship in 2025, they started the 2025-26 season 20-0 before earning the program’s second-best seeding ever.
Hoiberg before the game said there was added pressure entering the game due to the school’s struggles in the NCAA Tournament, but noted he didn’t address the matter with the team.
“I know the first question is going to be Nebraska has never won a tournament game,” Hoiberg said. “We realize that. Have I talked to our players about it? No, I haven’t. They know. They see it. Is there a pressure that goes along with that? Of course there is.”
Nebraska now looks forward to the second round, where it’ll face the winner of No. 5 Vanderbilt and No. 12 McNeese State on Saturday, March 21. There, maybe one NCAA Tournament win can become two for the school.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nebraska gets first NCAA Tournament win ever over Troy
