Sometimes you can just tell when a player feels it.
That was Pryce Sandfort in the first half.
Nebraska did not come out overwhelming Troy right away, but as the half settled in, Sandfort started to take control. Not in a flashy way, not forcing shots, just letting the game come to him and knocking them down when they were there.
By halftime, he had 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting and a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point range. Every time Nebraska needed a clean look or a bit of separation, he seemed to be the one providing it.
And it showed on the scoreboard.
Nebraska took a 41-25 lead into the break, turning what could have been a competitive early game into something much more comfortable. The Cornhuskers shot efficiently as a team, but Sandfort was clearly the difference. Troy had moments, but it never felt like they had an answer once he got going.
A first half that changed the game’s tone
That is the thing about March.
It does not always take a full team performance to shift a game. Sometimes it is just one player finding a rhythm at the right time. Sandfort did that in the first half, and it changed the feel of everything.
Nebraska, a team that has been steady all season out of the Big Ten, looked calm once the shots started falling. Troy, coming out of the Sun Belt, competed early but struggled to keep up once the pace tilted.
Now it becomes about the next 20 minutes.
Can Sandfort keep it going? Can Troy respond? That is where these games usually turn.
But for now, Nebraska has control, and it started with one player getting comfortable at exactly the right time.