No. 5 Nebraska Loses Second Straight to No. 9 Illinois

Huskers go cold in second half as Illini pull away for 78-69 victory

Feb. 1, 2026 at 7:31pm

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The No. 5 Nebraska Cornhuskers built a lead in the first half behind a barrage of 3-pointers, but went cold in the second half as the No. 9 Illinois Fighting Illini rallied to hand the Huskers their second consecutive loss, 78-69, at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Why it matters

This loss drops Nebraska to 18-4 on the season and 8-3 in Big Ten play, putting them in a precarious position in the conference standings. Illinois, meanwhile, improves to 17-5 and 9-2 in the Big Ten, solidifying their standing as one of the top teams in the league.

The details

Nebraska raced out to a big first-half lead by hitting 10 3-pointers, but the Huskers went cold in the second half, making just 2-of-15 from beyond the arc. Illinois took advantage, outscoring Nebraska 46-29 in the final 20 minutes to pull away for the victory.

  • The game was played on Sunday, February 2, 2026.

The players

Nebraska Cornhuskers

The No. 5 ranked college basketball team from the University of Nebraska.

Illinois Fighting Illini

The No. 9 ranked college basketball team from the University of Illinois.

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The takeaway

This loss is a setback for Nebraska, who had been one of the surprise teams in the Big Ten this season. They'll need to regroup quickly as they look to bounce back and maintain their position near the top of the conference standings.