Northwestern Begins Two-Game Homestand Against Nebraska

Wednesday, February 7

Evanston, Ill.

8 p.m. CT

Northwestern

Nebraska

Tickets

Photo by: Jake Aks / Northwestern Athletics

Northwestern Begins Two-Game Homestand Against Nebraska

2/6/2024 12:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern men's basketball begins its final two-game homestand of the season by hosting Nebraska on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. CT inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. Connor Onion (play-by-play) and Stephen Bardo (analyst) will have the call on BTN, while Dave Eanet (play-by-play) and Billy McKinney (analyst) will have the radio call on ESPN 1000 WMVP and Sirius XM Channel 158/195.

Northwestern, which is 15-7 overall and 6-5 in the Big Ten Conference (t-4th), is 5-0 in conference home games this season, its best start at home in Big Ten play since the 1967-68 team went 7-0. Dating back to last season, the Wildcats have won eight of their last nine conference home games, matching their best stretch since winning eight of nine in 2016-17. Northwestern last won nine of 10 conference home games over the 1965-66 and 1966-67 seasons.

Last time out, the 'Cats fell 75-66 in overtime at Minnesota, their second consecutive overtime loss after falling 105-96 in overtime at Purdue earlier in the week. Boo Buie led all Wildcats with 20 points and seven assists, Brooks Barnhizer tallied his third double-double this season with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Ryan Langborg chipped in 16 points on 4-for-6 from three-point range. The Wildcats have played four overtime conference games in a season for the first time in school history. The 'Cats have played back-to-back overtime games for the second time in program history and first since 1983-84. Northwestern's two overtime wins are its most in a single-season since 2015-16.

Northwestern ranks second in the Big Ten and ninth nationally, shooting at a 39.3% clip from behind the 3-point arc. The 'Cats have been especially lethal from long range in Big Ten games, shooting 44.2%, the best mark in league play by any team in the country. Ty Berry (53), Buie (49) and Langborg (46) are the only trio of teammates in the conference to each make 45 threes or more this year and the only high-major conference trio in the country to do so.

Northwestern's back-to-back losses mark its first losing streak this season, becoming the first team in school history to avoid consecutive losses over the first 21 games of the season.

Buie enters Wednesday night with 1,956 career points, which ranks second-most in Northwestern history, trailing only John Shurna's 2,038 career points for the school career scoring record. He ranks fourth in the Big Ten, averaging 18.9 points per game and third in the league posting 5.5 assists per game.

Northwestern leads the all-time series against Nebraska, 13-10. Nebraska claimed this season's earlier meeting between the two teams 75-69 in Lincoln, but the 'Cats have won seven of their last eight against the Cornhuskers.

Rienk Mast (14.0), Keisei Tominaga (13.9), Brice Williams (13.0), and Juwan Gary (11.5) all average double-digit points per game for the Huskers.

Northwestern closes out its last two-game homestand of the season against Penn State at Noon CT on BTN and WGN Radio 720.