Troy falls in first round of NCAA Tournament, losing to Nebraska, 76-47
Troy guard Cooper Campbell, right, pushes past Nebraska guard Jamarques Lawrence during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Troy’s trip as Sun Belt Tournament champions to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament was short-lived, as the Trojans gave Nebraska its first-ever tournament win.
“I would like to thank the good Lord for the opportunity to just have your guts absolutely ripped out,” Troy coach Scott Cross said. “It stinks, but I told our guys in the locker room, they’re not defined by this basketball game. They played an amazing team.”
13th seeded Troy fell to 4th seed Nebraska 76 to 47. Victor Valdes scored 14 points for Troy (22-12).
With the victory, Nebraska finally has a happy March Madness memory. This was the Cornhuskers first-ever win in the tournament, going 0-8 until today.
The Cornhuskers (27-6), had been the only school from a power conference without a tournament win.
Nebraska opened the season on a 20-game win streak and was ranked as high as No. 5 in the AP Top 25, giving fans hope that the Huskers could break through in March. Nebraska will try to keep the run going on Saturday, when it plays No. 5 seed Vanderbilt. The Commodores beat McNeese 78-68 on Thursday.
Nebraska turned in its best defensive effort of the season. The Cornhuskers allowed a season-low point total and held the Trojans to an opponent-low 28.3% shooting.
Troy made 13 of 46 field goals and 8 of 28 3-pointers. Forward Thomas Dowd, who had averaged 14.8 points, scored four on 1-for-11 shooting.
(Copyright 2026 The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
