Nebraska survives near-miracle heave at buzzer to advance past Vanderbilt in thriller, keep dream season alive

· Yahoo Sports

Nebraska forward Rienk Mast, right, drives past Vanderbilt center Jalen Washington, left, during the first half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)ASSOCIATED PRESS

Make that two NCAA tournament wins for Nebraska.

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In front of a decidedly pro-Nebraska crowd in Oklahoma City, the 4th-seeded Cornhuskers won a 74-72 thriller over No. 5 seed Vanderbilt Saturday night with a Sweet 16 berth on the line.

They survived a near miracle heave from Vanderbilt at the buzzer after their own late go-ahead bucket to secure the win.

Vanderbilt had rallied from a 39-32 halftime deficit to take the lead late in a game where both teams traded blows down the stretch. But backup Nebraska guard Braden Frager delivered the final shot for the Cornhuskers with a go-ahead layup with 2.2 seconds to secure the 74-72 lead.

Vanderbilt had one last shot and almost delivered a miracle. But a 3/4-court heave by Tyler Tanner rattled in and out as the final buzzer sounded.

Replay angles show just how close Vanderbilt was that close to delivering one of the most memorable shots in NCAA tournament history as the bottom of the ball broke the plane of the basket.

Instead, its season comes to an end in heartbreak after one of the best games of this year’s tournament.

Nebraska, meanwhile, advances to the Sweet 16 to keep its dream season alive.

The win for Nebraska its just its second ever in the NCAA tournament. Its first was on Thursday in the first round over Troy. The Cornhuskers were previously 0-8 in NCAA tournament play and the last power conference team without an NCAA tournament victory.

Now they’re two wins away from the Final Four and four from delivering an unlikely NCAA championship.

This story will be updated.

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