Nebraska women survive bubble drama, land NCAA Tournament shot in First Four

Lincoln—After a season of razor-thin margins and Selection Sunday anxiety, Nebraska’s women’s basketball team is officially off the bubble and into the bracket. The Huskers received an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament late Sunday night, earning a place in the First Four and keeping their March dreams alive.

The invitation arrives less than six weeks after a sobering 78-60 home loss to Maryland on Feb. 7 at Pinnacle Bank Arena, a defeat that dropped Nebraska to 9-13 overall and 2-9 in Big Ten play at the time. Facing a 17-point halftime deficit against the Terrapins, the Huskers struggled to find rhythm against Maryland’s length and pressure, ultimately absorbing their most lopsided conference setback of the year.

That afternoon, Nebraska’s players walked the pink-out carpet alongside breast-cancer survivors during pre-game intros, a moment of unity that preceded a harsh on-court reality. Photos from the game capture guard Logan Nissley driving into traffic, forward Amiah Hargrove battling through double-teams, and freshman Britt Prince pinned along the baseline by multiple Terps. Coach Amy Williams could be seen imploring her squad from the sideline as the deficit ballooned to 45-28 by intermission.

Yet the Huskers closed the regular season on a surge, winning seven of their final nine games—including road upsets of ranked foes—and advanced to the Big Ten tournament semifinals, a run that caught the committee’s eye and vaulted Nebraska into the 68-team field. The late-season momentum flipped the narrative from NIT whispers to a First Four matchup that will tip off Wednesday at a site to be announced.

Selection Monday brought relief inside the Hendricks Training Complex locker room, where players watched the broadcast on three flat-screens and erupted when the Huskers’ name appeared in the final quadrant of the bracket. Nebraska now prepares for a win-or-go-home scenario that could propel the program into the round of 64 and extend one of the nation’s most dramatic late-season turnarounds.