Banton, Nebraska beat Minnesota 78-74, snap 5-game skid
Nebraska guard Shamiel Stevenson (4) drives to the basket against Minnesota's Isaiah Ihnen (35) and Eric Curry (24) during the second half.[Francis Gardler/Lincoln Journal Star via AP]
Dalano Banton scored 14 points, Derrick Walker had 12 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, and Nebraska held off a late Minnesota rally to beat the Golden Gophers 78-74 on Saturday night.
Trey McGowen added 11 points and Kobe Webster and Thorir Thorbjarnarson scored 10 apiece for Nebraska (6-17, 2-14 Big Ten). The Cornhuskers snapped a five-game losing streak and won for just the second time since Dec. 17.
Minnesota (13-12, 6-12), which has lost five in a row, likely saw its chances for an NCAA tournament berth evaporate this week. The Golden Gophers lost 67-59 at home on Thursday against a Northwestern team that had lost 13 in row.
Marcus Carr scored 16 points in a 22-10 run that trimmed Minnesota’s deficit to 74-73 with 14 seconds left but Webster and Thorbjarnarson each made 2 of 2 from the free-throw line from there to seal it.
Carr finished with a career-high 41 points, the most in a Big Ten game this season.
Nebraska made 30 of 55 (54.5%) from the field and shot a season-high 52.9% (9 of 17) from 3-point range to overcome its 18 turnovers.
Banton scored the first seven points in an 11-2 spurt that gave the Cornhuskers a 13-point lead when Shamiel Stevenson hit a 3-pointer with 8:13 remaining.