The Nebraska Huskers men’s basketball team made a late push but came up just short against the St. Mary’s Gaels on Sunday, losing 77-74 at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls.
The Gaels, who won the West Coast Conference last year over Gonzaga and are picked to finish second in the conference this year, quickly jumped out to a double-digit in front of a packed crowd of over 3,200.
Nebraska struggled to slow the Gaels’ offense early on, as St. Mary’s hit eight of its first 12 shots to build a 14-point lead. However, the Huskers battled back and ended the first half on a 10-1 run to pull within 46-43 at halftime.
The Big Red carried that momentum into the second half, opening the frame on an 11-3 run to jump in front for the first time. Things went south for Nebraska from there.
With the game tied at 60, the Gaels went on a 13-3 run to take control again. Nebraska tried to fight back and used an 11-2 surge to get within two with six seconds to play but just ran out of time.