The Saint Louis Billikens opened their exhibition slate with a hard-fought 79-74 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Friday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena, delivering a statement road result against a Big Ten program that reached the Sweet 16 a season ago.
In a contest that featured two NCAA Tournament teams and experimental lineups on the Nebraska side, the Billikens weathered an early deficit and a late push to secure the win. Nebraska, which used 13 players as head coach Fred Hoiberg mixed and matched combinations, led 39-37 at halftime after true freshman guard Jacob Lanier buried a buzzer-beating three-pointer. Lanier finished with a game-high 15 points in an impressive debut, while sophomore big man Leo Curtis provided efficient scoring and rebounding in limited minutes.
Saint Louis seized control after the break. The Billikens outscored Nebraska 16-9 to open the second half, shooting efficiently while the Cornhuskers turned the ball over and struggled to find a rhythm. SLU shot 50 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range in the second half, compared to Nebraska’s 37 percent and 25 percent marks. Sophomore guard Amari McCottry and junior Kellen Thames paced the Billikens with 11 points apiece on a combined 9-of-13 shooting, while the visitors also got contributions from others including Jax Kerr, who showed range in the win.
Nebraska rallied in the closing minutes to pull within four points, but the Billikens closed out the victory. The Cornhuskers finished at 39 percent from the field overall and were hampered by free-throw misses and untimely mistakes, even as they won the turnover battle and matched Saint Louis with 41 rebounds while committing fewer fouls.
The result carries added weight given the context. Saint Louis enters the 2026-27 season after a school-record 29-6 campaign in which it shared the Atlantic 10 regular-season title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s second round (defeating Georgia before falling to eventual national champion Michigan). Nebraska comes off a program-best 28-7 season that included its first Sweet 16 appearance under Hoiberg, who was named national coach of the year.
Friday’s game marked the first half of a home-and-home exhibition series, with Nebraska set to visit Chaifetz Arena prior to the 2027-28 season. For Josh Schertz’s Billikens, it provided valuable early-season reps against a high-major opponent ahead of their regular-season opener against Lehigh on Nov. 2. Nebraska continues its exhibition slate at BYU on Oct. 16.
The exhibition offered a glimpse of both squads’ potential as they fine-tune rotations and chemistry before the regular season tips off.
