(BCSNN) — Nebraska waited more than a century for its first NCAA Tournament victory, and when it finally arrived Thursday afternoon, it came in overwhelming fashion. The fourth‑seeded Huskers dismantled Troy 76–47 in the South Regional first round at Paycom Center, delivering a historic breakthrough in front of a red‑clad crowd that turned the arena into a de facto home court.

Nebraska (27–6) set a school record for single‑season wins with the victory and advanced to Saturday’s second round, where it will face the winner of Vanderbilt and McNeese.

First‑team All‑Big Ten guard Pryce Sandfort powered the Huskers with 23 points, including 17 before halftime. He hit seven 3‑pointers — five in the first half — extending his school‑record season total to 120 and tying him for second on the Big Ten’s single‑season list. Jamarques Lawrence added 13 points and surpassed 1,000 career points, while Rienk Mast contributed 11 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Freshman Braden Frager scored 13 off the bench, and Berke Buyuktuncel added nine points and seven boards. Sam Hoiberg grabbed a team‑high nine rebounds and dished four assists.

Nebraska hit 14 of 39 threes and shot 43.1 percent overall, but its defense and rebounding were even more dominant. The Huskers held Troy to 28.3 percent shooting, forced 17 turnovers and allowed just five two‑point field goals all game. Nebraska also controlled the glass, grabbing 13 offensive rebounds — 11 in the first half — and outscoring Troy 19–3 in second‑chance points.

After trailing 15–12 with 10:34 left in the first half, Nebraska seized control with a 29–10 surge to take a 41–25 halftime lead. Sandfort fueled the run with a pair of threes and eight straight points, while Lawrence and Frager added key baskets.

Troy briefly cut the margin to 11 early in the second half, but Sandfort answered with back‑to‑back threes to restore a 17‑point cushion. Nebraska never allowed the Trojans to get closer, stretching the lead to 70–40 after a 10–0 run capped by a Buyuktuncel putback with 6:50 remaining.

The win snapped Nebraska’s 0–8 all‑time NCAA Tournament record and marked head coach Fred Hoiberg’s fifth NCAA Tournament victory, his first at Nebraska after four at Iowa State. The Huskers have now won five straight postseason games dating back to last year’s College Basketball Crown and 11 of their last 12 neutral‑site contests.

Nebraska will face the fifth-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores in the second‑round on Saturday. That game is set to tip-off at 8:45 p.m. on TNT.