Brice Williams sets Nebraska scoring record in 77-66 win over UCF for College Basketball Crown title
AP
Apr 06, 2025
LAS VEGAS (AP) Senior Brice Williams scored 21 points to set the single-season scoring record for Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Cornhuskers out-rallied UCF Knights for a 77-66 victory in the championship game of the College Basketball Crown at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday.
Williams made 6 of 14 shots with three 3-pointers and 6 of 8 free throws for Nebraska (21-14). He scored 713 points this season - five more than James Palmer Jr. had in the 2018-19 season.
Connor Essegian sank 8 of 16 shots with four 3-pointers, also scoring 21 for the Cornhuskers. Juwan Gary had 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting, adding eight rebounds.
Jordan Ivy-Curry came off the bench to score a season-high 29 for the Knights (20-17). He made 12 of 22 shots - 3 of 9 from beyond the arc. Nils Machowski totaled 13 points and six rebounds. Moustapha Thiam had 11 rebounds to go with nine points.
Williams hit two 3-pointers to help Nebraska jump in front 15-9 in the first eight minutes. The Cornhuskers led by as many as 12 and played with the lead until Darius Johnson sank two free throws to tie it at 33 with 1:46 left before halftime. Gary made two free throws to end a nearly four-minute scoring drought for Nebraska, but Dallan Coleman answered with a second-chance layup to forge a 35-all tie at the break.
The Knights scored the first 14 points of the second half - capped by a 3-pointer from Tyler Hendricks - to move in front for the first time since they led 3-0. Nebraska's first basket didn't come until the 14:36 mark when Gary had a layup. He scored nine in an 11-0 run to cut the deficit to three. Essegian hit back-to-back 3-pointers to tie it at 52. Andrew Morgan followed with two straight dunks and the Cornhuskers never trailed over the final 9:48.
Williams also set Nebraska's single-game scoring record this season with 43 points in a 116-114 double-overtime road loss to Ohio State on March 4.
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1st Half
NEB
Cornhuskers
35
UCF
Knights
35
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Andrew Morgan vs. Moustapha Thiam (Knights gains possession)
19:46
Darius Johnson misses three point jump shot
19:44
Cale Jacobsen defensive rebound
19:19
Moustapha Thiam blocks Juwan Gary's two point jump shot
19:17
Cornhuskers offensive rebound
19:12
Juwan Gary misses two point jump shot
19:10
Tyler Hendricks defensive rebound
18:52
+3
Moustapha Thiam makes three point jump shot (Dallan Coleman assists)
0-3
18:19
+3
Juwan Gary makes three point jump shot (Cale Jacobsen assists)
3-3
17:56
Nils Machowski misses two point jump shot
17:54
Cale Jacobsen defensive rebound
17:36
+2
Andrew Morgan makes two point jump shot (Sam Hoiberg assists)
5-3
17:16
Darius Johnson misses three point jump shot
17:14
Juwan Gary defensive rebound
17:00
Sam Hoiberg misses three point jump shot
16:58
Knights defensive rebound
16:36
Moustapha Thiam misses three point jump shot
16:34
Cale Jacobsen defensive rebound
16:15
Darius Johnson personal foul
16:08
Andrew Morgan misses two point layup
16:06
Moustapha Thiam defensive rebound
15:56
+2
Nils Machowski makes two point layup
5-5
15:40
+3
Brice Williams makes three point jump shot (Sam Hoiberg assists)
8-5
15:26
Nils Machowski turnover (bad pass) (Cale Jacobsen steals)
15:21
Cale Jacobsen turnover (lost ball) (Nils Machowski steals)
15:17
Darius Johnson misses three point jump shot
15:17
Cornhuskers defensive rebound
15:17
TV timeout
14:53
+2
Juwan Gary makes two point jump shot
10-5
14:33
+2
Jordan Ivy-Curry makes two point layup
10-7
14:07
Cale Jacobsen misses two point layup
14:05
Andrew Morgan offensive rebound
14:04
Andrew Morgan turnover (lost ball)
13:48
Dallan Coleman misses three point jump shot
13:46
Sam Hoiberg defensive rebound
13:32
Brice Williams misses three point jump shot
13:30
Tyler Hendricks defensive rebound
13:21
+2
Jordan Ivy-Curry makes two point layup
10-9
13:04
Andrew Morgan offensive foul
13:04
Andrew Morgan turnover (offensive foul)
12:52
Jordan Ivy-Curry misses three point jump shot
12:50
Connor Essegian defensive rebound
12:44
Connor Essegian misses three point jump shot
12:42
Sam Hoiberg offensive rebound
12:35
+2
Connor Essegian makes two point layup (Braxton Meah assists)
12-9
12:20
Moustapha Thiam misses two point jump shot
12:18
Braxton Meah defensive rebound
12:02
+3
Brice Williams makes three point jump shot (Sam Hoiberg assists)
15-9
11:54
Knights 30 second timeout
11:54
TV timeout
11:36
Darius Johnson misses two point jump shot
11:34
Braxton Meah defensive rebound
11:24
+3
Brice Williams makes three point jump shot
18-9
11:15
+2
Moustapha Thiam makes two point hook shot (Darius Johnson assists)
18-11
11:02
+2
Brice Williams makes two point jump shot (Ahron Ulis assists)
20-11
10:52
Darius Johnson offensive foul (Sam Hoiberg draws the foul)
10:52
Darius Johnson turnover (offensive foul)
10:36
Moustapha Thiam blocks Ahron Ulis's two point layup
10:34
Benny Williams defensive rebound
10:28
Jordan Ivy-Curry turnover (bad pass) (Andrew Morgan steals)
10:19
+3
Connor Essegian makes three point jump shot (Sam Hoiberg assists)
23-11
10:02
+2
Dior Johnson makes two point jump shot (Moustapha Thiam assists)
23-13
9:47
Brice Williams misses three point jump shot
9:45
Dior Johnson defensive rebound
9:39
Jordan Ivy-Curry misses three point jump shot
9:38
Tyler Hendricks offensive rebound
9:38
Connor Essegian personal foul (Tyler Hendricks draws the foul)
9:30
+2
Jordan Ivy-Curry makes two point jump shot
23-15
9:10
Connor Essegian misses three point jump shot
9:08
Tyler Hendricks defensive rebound
8:55
Tyler Hendricks misses two point jump shot
8:53
Cale Jacobsen defensive rebound
8:38
+2
Ahron Ulis makes two point layup
25-15
8:21
+3
Jordan Ivy-Curry makes three point jump shot
25-18
8:04
Benny Williams blocks Connor Essegian's two point layup
8:02
Nils Machowski defensive rebound
7:57
Nils Machowski misses two point layup
7:55
Nils Machowski offensive rebound
7:53
+2
Nils Machowski makes two point layup
25-20
7:37
+2
Brice Williams makes two point jump shot
27-20
7:11
Jordan Ivy-Curry misses two point jump shot
7:09
Nils Machowski offensive rebound
7:09
Andrew Morgan personal foul (Nils Machowski draws the foul)
7:09
TV timeout
7:02
Dallan Coleman misses three point jump shot
7:00
Ahron Ulis defensive rebound
6:31
Ahron Ulis misses two point jump shot
6:29
Nils Machowski defensive rebound
6:25
+2
Jordan Ivy-Curry makes two point layup
27-22
6:25
Juwan Gary shooting foul (Jordan Ivy-Curry draws the foul)
6:25
+1
Jordan Ivy-Curry makes regular free throw 1 of 1
27-23
6:17
+2
Juwan Gary makes two point layup (Connor Essegian assists)
29-23
5:58
+3
Nils Machowski makes three point jump shot (Tyler Hendricks assists)
29-26
5:41
+2
Connor Essegian makes two point jump shot
31-26
5:22
Jordan Ivy-Curry turnover (bad pass)
4:59
+2
Brice Williams makes two point jump shot (Braxton Meah assists)
33-26
4:32
+3
Jordan Ivy-Curry makes three point jump shot (Dallan Coleman assists)
33-29
4:04
Moustapha Thiam blocks Connor Essegian's two point layup
4:03
Cornhuskers offensive rebound
4:02
Sam Hoiberg misses two point jump shot
4:00
Cornhuskers offensive rebound
3:59
Nils Machowski personal foul
3:59
TV timeout
3:56
Connor Essegian misses three point jump shot
3:54
Moustapha Thiam defensive rebound
3:38
Brice Williams personal foul (Nils Machowski draws the foul)
3:29
Moustapha Thiam misses two point hook shot
3:27
Juwan Gary defensive rebound
3:18
Brice Williams misses three point jump shot
3:16
Moustapha Thiam defensive rebound
2:59
Jordan Ivy-Curry turnover (lost ball)
2:39
Juwan Gary misses three point jump shot
2:37
Tyler Hendricks defensive rebound
2:16
+2
Tyler Hendricks makes two point jump shot
33-31
2:00
Cale Jacobsen misses two point layup
1:58
Knights defensive rebound
1:56
Braxton Meah personal foul
1:46
Brice Williams shooting foul (Darius Johnson draws the foul)
1:46
+1
Darius Johnson makes regular free throw 1 of 2
33-32
1:46
+1
Darius Johnson makes regular free throw 2 of 2
33-33
1:37
Sam Hoiberg misses two point jump shot
1:35
Dior Johnson defensive rebound
1:27
Tyler Hendricks misses two point jump shot
1:25
Braxton Meah defensive rebound
1:07
Tyler Hendricks shooting foul (Juwan Gary draws the foul)
1:07
+1
Juwan Gary makes regular free throw 1 of 2
34-33
1:07
+1
Juwan Gary makes regular free throw 2 of 2
35-33
0:52
Dior Johnson misses two point jump shot
0:50
Jordan Ivy-Curry offensive rebound
0:40
+2
Dallan Coleman makes two point layup (Moustapha Thiam assists)
