Nebraska survives chaos
Nebraska survived a heart‑stopping near‑buzzer beater to advance — a game that highlighted March Madness’ usual chaos as the bracket thinned on Saturday. ( )
No. 4 Nebraska beat No. 5 Vanderbilt 74-72 in the second round in Oklahoma City on March 21, 2026. (espn.com) Redshirt freshman Braden Frager drove for the go-ahead layup with 2.2 seconds remaining, and Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner’s desperate 3/4-court heave rattled the rim and fell out at the buzzer. (espn.com) Tanner finished with a game-high 27 points while Frager and Pryce Sandfort each scored 15 and Rienk Mast added 13 for Nebraska. (espn.com) The win was Nebraska’s second-ever NCAA Tournament victory — the Cornhuskers had been 0-8 in March Madness before beating Troy in the first round earlier this week. (sports.yahoo.com) Coach Fred Hoiberg, in his seventh season, guided a team that opened the year 20-0 during a campaign that has produced historic results for the program. (sports.yahoo.com) Nebraska improved to 28-6 on the season and will play in the South Region semifinals on Thursday, March 26 against the winner of Sunday’s Florida–Iowa game. (huskers.com) That Sweet 16 game is scheduled for the Toyota Center in Houston. (usatoday.com)
