Nebraska Secures First NCAA Win 76-47 Over Troy

Oklahoma City, Okla. — The Nebraska Cornhuskers claimed their first victory in NCAA Tournament history on Thursday, defeating the Troy Trojans 76-47 in a first-round matchup at the Paycom Center. The No. 4-seeded Cornhuskers, who entered the game with an 0-8 record across eight previous appearances dating back to 1986, broke the drought behind a dominant performance fueled by a raucous crowd of supporters who turned the neutral-site arena into a virtual home game.

Pryce Sandfort led the way with 23 points, including seven 3-pointers on 12 attempts, scoring 17 in the first half alone as Nebraska built a 41-25 halftime lead. Jamarques Lawrence and Braden Frager each added 13 points off the bench, while Rienk Mast contributed 11 points, seven assists and six rebounds. The Cornhuskers shot 25 of 65 from the field and held Troy to a season-low 28.3 percent shooting, limiting the No. 13-seeded Trojans to 13 of 46 field goals and forcing 17 turnovers. Victor Valdes scored 14 points for Troy, which had won the Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament titles entering the game.

The victory marked a milestone for a program that began playing basketball in the 1896-97 season but...