Rienk Mast scored 20 points as Nebraska extended the nation’s longest active win streak by defeating in-state rival Creighton 71-50 in a nonconference game on Sunday afternoon in Lincoln, Neb.
The Cornhuskers (9-0) have won 13 in a row dating back to last season, one off the school’s longest win streak set in 1990-91. Nebraska is also one win from tying the best start in school history when it began 10-0 in 1977-78.
Mast was 6 of 12 from the field and 3-for-5 on 3-point attempts for his fourth 20-point game of the season. Sam Hoiberg, the son of Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg, had 15 points and five assists while Berke Buyuktuncel had 13 rebounds.
Nebraska beat Creighton for the third time in four meetings, but the first at home since 2018, and earned wins over the Bluejays in back-to-back seasons for the first time since taking seven in a row from 1990-97.
Creighton (5-4) got a career-high 16 points from Austin Swartz, but no one else scored in double figures. The Blue Jays shot 30.8% from the field and were 8 of 33 from 3-point range.
Up 33-19 at the break, Nebraska extended the lead to 20 on a Hoiberg layup just over three minutes into the second half. Creighton didn’t make a basket until nearly five minutes into the half, continuing a trend from the first half when it shot 18.8%.
A 3-point play by Braden Frager put the Cornhuskers up 50-29 with 11:36 to go. The Bluejays got as close as 17 on a Ty Davis layup with 10:06 remaining and trailed by 18 with 4:35 left before Nebraska went on an 8-0 run to blow it open.
Creighton started ice cold, making only one shot in the first eight-plus minutes as Nebraska built a 15-2 lead. The Bluejays didn’t make their first 3-pointer until Isaac Traudt hit one with 11:33 left in the first half.
Nebraska started 6 of 22 from the field but then made four in a row, with a 3-pointer by Hoiberg putting the Cornhuskers up 31-17 with 2:01 left before halftime.
