Huskers Fall Short Against No. 9 Illinois

No. 5 Nebraska loses top-10 Big Ten battle at home

Feb. 1, 2026 at 8:55pm

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The Nebraska Cornhuskers fell to the No. 9 Illinois Fighting Illini 76-69 in a top-10 Big Ten matchup at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Sunday. Despite a strong first half that saw Nebraska hit 11 3-pointers, Illinois rallied in the second half behind a 28-point performance from Keaton Wagler to hand the Huskers their second loss of the season.

Why it matters

This game was a crucial Big Ten showdown between two top-10 teams vying for conference supremacy. The loss drops Nebraska to 9-2 in conference play, while Illinois moves into a tie for first place in the Big Ten at 10-1.

The details

Nebraska led 42-35 early in the second half, but Illinois went on an 11-2 run to take the lead and never looked back. The Illini were led by Wagler's 28 points, while the Huskers had four players score in double figures, including 20 points off the bench from Braden Frager. Nebraska hit 15 3-pointers in the game but shot just 39% in the second half.

  • The game was played on Sunday, February 2, 2026.
  • Nebraska led 42-35 early in the second half.

The players

Keaton Wagler

An Illinois player who scored a game-high 28 points, including 23 in the second half to lead the Illini comeback.

Braden Frager

A Nebraska player who scored 20 points off the bench in the losing effort.

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What they’re saying

“We must give Illinois credit, they made the plays down the stretch to win this game. We had our chances but just couldn't get over the hump.”

— Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska Head Coach

What’s next

Nebraska will look to bounce back next Saturday, February 7th when they travel to face Rutgers at 11 a.m.

The takeaway

This loss is a setback for Nebraska's Big Ten title hopes, but the Huskers have shown they can compete with the conference's elite teams. They'll need to regroup quickly to keep pace in the tight Big Ten race.