Rienk Mast recorded Nebraska’s first triple-double in five years and the Cornhuskers hit 17 3-pointers in a 96-66 win over Florida International in a nonconference game Saturday afternoon at Lincoln, Neb.
Mast finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in 25 minutes, making 8 of 10 field goals, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range. He’s the first Nebraska player with a triple-double since Dalano Banton against NAIA school Doane in 2020 and the first against a Division I opponent since Cam Mack in 2019.
Nebraska (2-0) shot 55.2 from the field and 50 percent from 3, its 17 triples the most since one off the school record set in 2002. The Cornhuskers drained 10 in the first half from six different players, including Pryce Sandfort, who had six 3s and a game-high 20 points.
FIU (1-1) got 12 points apiece from Hamed Olayinka and Julian Mackey. The Panthers shot 39.4 percent from the field and made 6 of 23 from 3 but won the rebounding battle 40-36. They turned it over 20 times, however, leading to 30 points for the Cornhuskers.
Nebraska led 49-28 at halftime, ending the half on an 8-0 run. The Cornhuskers scored the first six of the second half, and eight straight points by Sandord doubled up FIU 68-34 with 15:28 left.
Mast completed the triple-double with an assist on a Braden Frager basket with 7:29 to go. Frager finished with 15 points and Connor Essegian added 13.
Nebraska used a 13-0 run to build an 18-6 lead, with Mast contributing eight points. He locked up a double-double in the final minute of the first half and hit the ninth of the ‘Huskers’ 10 first-half triples.
FIU remains on the road to visit LSU on Thursday, while Nebraska hosts Maryland-Eastern Shore on Tuesday.
