If you were someone who thought Fred Hoiberg lost this basketball team, you were WRONG.

Nebraska battled back against all odds, holding on to beat Wisconsin on Senior Day, 74-73 behind 26 points from Alonzo Verge, and a tenacious defense that saw the Badgers miss all 9 of their last shots, held to without a field goal in the last 5:48 seconds.

Our beloved Huskers won this game despite:

• Bryce McGowens being out with a wrist injury
• Trey McGowens being ejected because of a Flagrant 2 foul call at
• Alonzo Verge being called for a questionable technical foul
• Nebraska getting ten fouls and Wisconsin in the Double Bonus at 16:18

Nebraska started out the game well, moving the ball around well, getting a lot of shots inside while the Badgers uncharacteristically turned the ball over repeatedly. Kind of weird, considering it’s Brad Davison’s last home game ever in a Badgers uniform.

At 12:26, Nebraska lead 16-11, with 14 points in the paint. The Husker lead extended to 12 at 7:47 when CJ Wilcher hit a 3 to make it 30-18. Nebraska started picking up fouls and sitting some guys, allowing the Badgers to get back into the game before half.

Nebraska lead at half, 40-36. The Huskers were 1-9 from 3. Derrick Walker had 12 points. Nebraska had 26 points in the paint at that point, and didn’t commit their first turnover until 4:48 in the first half.

The second half turned into a nightmare for our beloved Huskers. In the first half, the officials let the teams play. Not so much in the second, or at least in the beginning of the second half.

At 17:32, Trey McGowens was ejected after a hard foul on Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis. Davis was injured and left the game for good. McGowens’ foul was ruled a Flagrant 2, warranting ejection. At that point, Nebraska was up 45-42.

A short time later, Alonzo Verge picked up a technical foul when he slapped the floor then maybe looked at the official for a moment after scoring on a layup. Here’s the video. You be the judge. Notice Verge said NOTHING to the official.

Wisconsin gained momentum, as fouls mounted against Nebraska. Wisconsin pulled out to a 10-point lead, 62-52, with 12:19 left to play. 48-year old (seemingly) Brad Davison lead the Badger push. He finished with a team high 20 points.

This game looked over. Nebraska was down two of their best players, the McGowens, in foul trouble, and Verge spent a lot of time on the bench cooling off after the technical.

Then Verge came off the bench to lead a charge, scoring 11 of Nebraska’s final 17 points. He had 26 total, six assists and five rebounds. His play was outstanding.

Wisconsin didn’t score a field goal in the last 5:48. They were ZERO for nine, 2 of 13 to finish the game.

Things were tense when Chuck Hepburn was fouled on a three point shot by Verge, giving Verge his fifth foul, and Hepburn a chance to tie it for Wisconsin. Hepburn missed his first free throw, then made the next two, and that was the ball game.

Look at this!

Nebraska is now on a three-game win streak. If this is what we can expect from Fred Hoiberg, thank God Trev kept him.