Nebraska Wins First NCAA Tournament Game After 40 Years

After 40 years of March Madness heartbreak, the Nebraska Cornhuskers finally have their first NCAA Tournament win.

The fourth-seeded Cornhuskers dominated Troy 76-47 in Oklahoma City on Thursday, ending a drought that stretched back to their first tournament appearance in 1986. Nine times they'd made it to the big dance, and nine times they'd gone home empty-handed after the first round.

This year felt different from the start. Nebraska came in hot with a 27-6 record after a stellar season that showed this team had something special.

Sharpshooter Pryce Sandfort led the charge with 23 points, hitting five three-pointers in a red-hot first half that had Cornhusker fans finally believing. Jamarques Lawrence and Braden Frager each added 13 points as Nebraska built such a commanding lead that coach Fred Hoiberg could rest his starters in the second half.

Troy struggled to find their rhythm after a promising start, shooting just 28% from the field. The Trojans went cold when it mattered most, and Nebraska seized the moment they'd been waiting decades to claim.

Nebraska Wins First NCAA Tournament Game After 40 Years

The last time Nebraska made the tournament was 2024, when they fell to Texas A&M in a heartbreaker. Before that, a ten-year absence stretched back to 2014, when Baylor sent them packing.

Why This Inspires

Sometimes the wait makes the victory sweeter. Nebraska's players, many of whom weren't even born when this drought began, carried the weight of decades of disappointment and finally lifted it.

Their fans packed the arena in Oklahoma City, traveling hundreds of miles for a chance to witness history. Students who'd never seen their team win a tournament game erupted as the final seconds ticked away.

This wasn't just about basketball. It was about persistence, about showing up year after year despite the losses, about believing that eventually, the breakthrough will come.

Next up, Nebraska faces Vanderbilt, another team with an inspiring tournament story this year, but right now the Cornhuskers are savoring a win 40 years in the making.