Oklahoma City, March 19, 2026 - The No. 4 seed Nebraska Cornhuskers defeated the No. 13 seed Troy Trojans 76-47 in the first round of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament at Paycom Center.[1][2]
The win marked Nebraska's first victory in NCAA tournament play. The Cornhuskers had lost their previous five appearances: 1986 to UNLV, 1998 to Penn State, 2008 to Arkansas, 2014 to Baylor (74-60), and 2024 to Texas A&M (98-83).[3][4]
Pryce Sandfort led Nebraska with 23 points, including 17 in the first half on 5-of-8 three-point shooting. Jamarques Lawrence and reserve Braden Frager each scored 13 points.[1][2]
Troy shot 28% from the field (13-for-46) and 29% from three-point range (8-for-28).[1][2]
Nebraska entered as the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament but lost to No. 7 Purdue in the quarterfinals. The Cornhuskers' most recent NCAA appearance prior to 2026 was a first-round loss as an 8 seed to Texas A&M in 2024.[3][4]
Paycom Center in Oklahoma City hosted first- and second-round games for the tournament.[1]
Nebraska advanced to face Vanderbilt, which defeated McNeese State in the first round.[1][2]
Sources
- NCAA - Men's Basketball Tournament Match Center - March 20, 2026 - https://www.ncaa.com/
- Fox Sports - College Basketball Coverage - March 20, 2026 - https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball
- Sports-Reference.com - Nebraska Cornhuskers Men's Basketball History - Accessed March 2026 - https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/nebraska/men/index.html
- ESPN - College Basketball Scores and History - Accessed March 2026 - https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/
