Alonzo Verge Jr. scored 18 points and dished out a career-high 10 assists and Nebraska rallied in the second half to beat Tennessee State 79-73 on Tuesday night in Lincoln, Neb.

Verge, a graduate transfer guard from Arizona State, shot 7 of 11 from the field. It was his second double-double in six games with the Cornhuskers, as he had 26 points and 13 rebounds in a season-opening loss to Western Illinois.

Bryce McGowens also scored 18 points for Nebraska (4-2), with Derrick Walker contributing 16 and C.J. Wilcher adding 15.

The Cornhuskers won their third consecutive game, the first time they have done that in two years, by again scoring at will inside. Nebraska made 22 of 28 2-point shots and outscored Tennessee State 34-16 in the paint, with Walker hit 7 of 7 to set his career high in scoring for the third straight game.

Tennessee State, which came in averaging eight made 3-pointers per game, sank 13 of 33 attempts from outside, including 10 of 19 in the first half. The Tigers (1-4) went cold from deep in the second half, though, making just 3 of 14.

Illinois State transfer Dedric Boyd was 5 of 8 from beyond the arc in the first half, pouring in 16 points, but cooled off after halftime and finished with a season-high 23.

Tennessee State led 41-38 at the half but Nebraska opened on a 7-0 run to go up by four.

Boyd scored on back-to-back possessions to get the Tigers within 72-67 with 1:15 to go, but Wilcher and McGowens made 7 of 8 free throws down the stretch.

Nebraska looked as if it would run away early, as it did Sunday in an 82-59 win over Southern, using a 9-0 run to lead 13-3 less than four minutes in. The Cornhuskers started 5 of 6 from the field, but Tennessee State soon went on a 14-1 run to lead 17-14.

A four-point play by Boyd put the Tigers up 36-32 with 2:18 left in the first half, and his 3-pointer with two seconds remaining kept the visitors ahead at the break.

--Field Level Media