Nebraska men’s basketball opened its 2026-27 regular season with a 106-64 blowout victory against Le Moyne on Monday, November 2, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, as Pryce Sandfort scored 16 points and Cale Jacobsen added a career-high 16 points to lead eleven Huskers onto the scoresheet.
College basketball returned to Lincoln as the Nebraska men’s basketball team tipped off its 131st season under eighth-year head coach Fred Hoiberg. Coming off a historic Sweet 16 run during the 2025-26 campaign, the Cornhuskers wasted little time establishing control against the visiting Dolphins in front of a home crowd at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
First-Half Push Overcomes Le Moyne’s Early Spark
The evening began with a surge from the home side as Nebraska raced out to a 7-0 lead. Le Moyne answered swiftly, putting together a 12-3 run behind five early points from Ty Francis to claim a 12-10 advantage at the under-16 timeout.
Nebraska claimed the season opener.Trevor Roe led us with career highs of 20 points, six rebounds and six assists. Jayden Teat had 14 points and a career-high five assists in his Dolphin debut.Back at it Thursday at Creighton. pic.twitter.com/nUKj2dDADL
— https://x.com/LeMoyneMBB/status/2117451995019899015
That momentum proved temporary as the Dolphins cooled off from their 5-7 start. Nebraska steadily reclaimed control and closed out the opening period with an 11-0 run over the final 2:47, swelling their halftime advantage to 58-32.
The visiting side entered the contest following an 81-71 loss to Stonehill. Under head coach Nate Champion, who entered his seventh season leading the program with an 85-96 career mark, the Dolphins returned just two letterwinners from a squad that went 15-17 overall and 10-8 in Northeast Conference play the previous year.
We’re super excited to get to play a real game in PBA in front of our fans. I hope that people watched last year and they’re maybe more interested now. And I also hope that this team can keep people engaged. We need to be a team that’s the hardest playing, most together every single night and a team that Nebraska people can be proud of.
Cale Jacobsen, via 247Sports
Jacobsen and Sandfort Drive Balanced Husker Scoring
The offensive load was shared widely as all eight players Fred Hoiberg sent to the floor in the first half put points on the board. Sandfort finished with a game-high 18 points, while Jacobsen set a new personal best with 16 points, hitting both of his long-range attempts in the opening twenty minutes.
Depth and new additions shaped the rotation on a night when key pieces watched from the bench or stepped into expanded roles. Utah Valley transfer Trevan Leonhardt stepped into the backcourt distribution role following the departures of Sam Hoiberg and Jamarques Lawrence. Meanwhile, Belmont transfer Sam Orme did not suit up due to a lingering hamstring injury.
We’re taking a very precautionary approach to this.
Fred Hoiberg, Head Coach, via Hurrdat Sports
Hoiberg added that the coaching staff wants to avoid letting the injury linger through the long season ahead. The program also adjusted its roster following the departure of four starters from the previous year, including Rienk Mast, Jamarques Lawrence, Sam Hoiberg, and Berke Buyuktuncel.
Bench Contributions and Garbage-Time Production
Essegian made the most of his minutes in the closing stretch, scoring 13 points over the final ten minutes as 11 different Huskers eventually found the scoring column. Jacob Lanier and Damon Wilkinson each added 11 points to round out five Nebraska scorers in double figures.
For Le Moyne, Trevor Roe led the way with 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists, while Jayden Teat contributed 14 points and five assists. The Dolphins shot 39 percent from the field on 22-of-56 shooting compared to Nebraska’s high-efficiency night.
Upcoming Matchup at Mohegan Sun Arena
The Cornhuskers leave Lincoln this week for their first neutral-site test of the young season. Nebraska will face Providence on Saturday, November 7, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, with tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m. on FS1 as part of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off.