Skip to main content

Nebraska tops Oregon State 78-66 to claim the Diamond Head Classic championship

Robin Washut profile picby:Robin Washut12/25/24

RobinWashut

Brice Williams Nebraska basketball
Brice Williams drives to the basket in Nebraska's win over Oregon State in the 2024 Diamond Head Classic championship in Hawaii. (Photo: Nebraska Athletics)

Although the tournament initially seemed of little value for Nebraska’s postseason resume, the Huskers maximized their opportunity by going 3-0 and winning the 2024 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.

Brice Williams led the way once again with a game-high 25 points and seven rebounds, including scoring 15 in the second half to guide NU to a 78-66 win over Oregon State in Honolulu.

Subscribe to get exclusive Huskers content on HuskerOnline today!

Nebraska shot 53.2 percent from the field and went 20-of-24 at the free-throw line on the night, closing the game on an 11-3 run. The Beavers hit nine 3-pointers and converted 15-of-16 at the stripe, but they managed just three points and missed four of their last five shots over the final 3:09.

Williams, who matched his career-high of 32 points in NU’s semifinal win over Hawaii on Monday night, outscored OSU 11-0 over the last 5:32 of play.

The senior guard averaged 22 points over Nebraska’s three victories in Hawaii and took home the tournament’s Most Valuable Player honor.

Juwan Gary finished with 14 points, going 7-of-10 on free throws, and Berke Buyuktuncel scored 16 on 6-of-8 shooting, along with six rebounds.

With the win, the Huskers improved to 10-2 on the season and claimed their first regular-season tournament title since the 2000 San Juan Shootout.

Nebraska returns to action on Monday with its final non-conference game of the year against Southern. That game will tip-off at 8 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.


Never miss breaking news or another HuskerOnline article again. Click HERE to sign up for HuskerOnline’s Daily and Breaking News Newsletters.

You may also like