Nebraska @ Rutgers preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 3, 2020 ) Rutgers 79, Nebraska 62

No. 25 Rutgers looks to continue its home dominance when it faces Nebraska on Saturday in Big Ten play. The Scarlet Knights have won all 13 games in Piscataway this season, which is their best on-campus start in program history, and they hope to stay on track for their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1991 by sweeping the season series with the Cornhuskers following a 79-62 win on Jan. 3.

“It’s a long grind and every game is a war,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell told reporters. “You got to do a great job with your homework and getting prepared for games in a short time.” Nebraska’s growing pains under first-year coach Fred Hoiberg continued after an 82-68 setback at Wisconsin on Tuesday. The Cornhuskers have dropped four consecutive games by an average margin of 9.8 points, and hope to take a step in the right direction by ending a 12-game road losing streak that dates back to last season. “What I’m looking for is for our guys to go out there and compete at a high level,” Hoiberg told reporters. “The resiliency our guys showed to continue to go out there and battle … is a step in the right direction.”

TIME: 2 p.m. ET. TV: Big Ten Network

ABOUT NEBRASKA (7-12, 2-6 Big Ten): Dachon Burke Jr. scored a game-high 20 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the floor and pulled down a season-best eight rebounds in the loss to Wisconsin. Kevin Cross added 17 points and three steals in 20 minutes off the bench, while Cam Mack registered 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists against the Badgers to finish in double figures for the 12th consecutive game. Thorir Thorbjarnarson tallied 12 points and Haanif Cheatham, who is averaging 12.2 points this season, was limited to two points on 1-of-5 shooting from the floor.

ABOUT RUTGERS (14-5, 5-3): Sophomore Ron Harper Jr. poured in a career-high 29 points to go along with a team-best nine rebounds, but Rutgers stumbled down the stretch in Wednesday's loss to Iowa. Akwasi Yeboah matched his season high with 17 points and Myles Johnson added 10 points, four rebounds and four assists, but the Scarlet Knights were outscored 9-3 after holding a one-point lead with 2:25 remaining in the game. “It was a great college basketball game and we never gave up,” Pikiell told reporters. “We kept fighting and had our chances too, but we had a couple in-and-outs.”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Rutgers has held 12 straight opponents to 65 points or fewer at home.

2. Nebraska has lost 15 of its last 17 road games since the start of the 2018-19 season.

3. The Cornhuskers have committed 12 or fewer turnovers in 11 straight games.

PREDICTION: Rutgers 78, Nebraska 65