Having just lost a physically and emotionally draining overtime game at Indiana less than 48 hours earlier and facing a Purdue team that hadn’t played in over a week, the conditions couldn’t have been much less ideal for Nebraska on Sunday.

But just as they did in nearly upsetting the Hoosiers, the Huskers came out with more fire, fight, and confidence than they’d showed all season to pull out a 70-56 upset over the Boilermakers at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Sophomore point guard Cam Mack recorded the first triple-double in program history with 11 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds to lead the way, as NU led for the final 25 minutes and tied Texas for the most points scored against Purdue this season.

Junior guard Dachon Burke scored a game-high 18 points with seven boards, while Nebraska held Purdue to a season-low 30.4-percent shooting from the field and 6-of-35 from 3-point range.

That all added up to the Huskers improving to 5-6 on the season and head coach Fred Hoiberg picking up his first Big Ten victory.

“I think everybody that stepped on the floor tonight had a positive impact on that win tonight, and that’s what being a team is all about,” Hoiberg said. “Responding to that tough loss the other night was a big-time, big-time performance by these guys to go out there and do that.”

Nebraska could not have asked for a better start than it got to open the game, as it jumped out to a 12-2 lead while Purdue missed seven of its first eight shots from the field.

The Huskers suddenly went ice cold with a 6:31 scoreless streak, though, which allowed the Boilermakers to piece together a 12-0 run of their own and take a 14-12 lead.

But NU finished the first half with another flurry, answering with a 15-1 rally and making nine of the final 11 shots before halftime to go into the locker room with a commanding 34-23 lead.

Led by eight points, six assists, and five rebounds from Mack, Nebraska assisted on 12 of its 14 made baskets in the first half, only trailed 26-25 on the boards, and held a 4-3 advantage in second-chance points.

Purdue, on the other hand, shot just 22 percent (9-for-41) from the field and had just 10 points in the paint despite hauling in 12 offensive rebounds.

“I said (to the team before the game), make Purdue call the first timeout tonight, and they did that by getting off to that good start, and you set the tone,” Hoiberg said. “You have that little lull, and you’re able to sustain because we guarded and then finished off the half in a big way.”

The Huskers led by as many as 15 points early in the second half, but the Boilermakers steadily chipped away and pulled within 52-48 on a 3-pointer by Eric Hunter Jr. with just under nine minutes left to play.

But the momentum soon shifted back to the Huskers after that, especially when 7-foot-3 center Matt Haarms left the game after a nasty fall with just over six minutes remaining.

Nebraska ended up closing the game on an 18-6 run, including making all seven of its free throws (on all nine attempts) over the final 6:10.

“I thought those last 20 minutes we were phenomenal,” Hoiberg said. “We had that little stretch where we didn’t rebound it well, but overall the energy, the effort, guys going out there and playing for each other.”

The Huskers were only out-rebounded 49-45, committed just nine fouls, and had a season-high 22 assists on 26 made shots compared to 11 turnovers against one of the best defensive teams in the country.

Junior guard Thorir Thorbjarnarson finished with 13 points and made 5-of-6 free throws in the final five minutes, while freshman Kevin Cross came off the bench and added seven points, seven rebounds, and three assists.

Trevion Williams led Purdue with 18 points and 16 boards, while Isaiah Thompson was the only other Boilermaker to score in double figures with 10 points.

“If we could have come back and won this game, it would have been a shame,” Purdue head coach Matt Painter said. “I thought Nebraska played harder than us, and (they) were more ready to play. For a team that played Friday night on the road, you’d think it’d be the (opposite). Give Nebraska credit.”

Nebraska will get a much-needed break next week before returning to PBA to host North Dakota on Saturday, with tip-off set for 5 p.m. CT.

1. Nebraska grew up this weekend

Having already played back-to-back road games, Nebraska got about as bad of a draw from the Big Ten schedule makers as it could get with a trip to Indiana followed by a home game vs. Purdue within less than 48 hours.

While that stretch could have easily sent the season spiraling, the Huskers instead reshaped expectations of what this year could be with the fight, grit, and toughness they showed this weekend.

Nebraska surprised everyone with how well they played at Indiana, nearly pulling out an overtime upset. Then NU showed it was no fluke by whipping a Purdue team that had just blown out defending national champion Virginia for nearly a full 40 minutes.

The Huskers had barely 24 hours to put the IU loss behind them, rest their legs as much as possible, and prepare for Purdue, which came to Lincoln after a full week off. Oh, and they had to do so with just eight available scholarship players and walk-on Charlie Easley.

Friday and Sunday were major statements in so many ways, not only for fans, media, and Big Ten opponents, but also for the Huskers themselves. Effort and results like that can do so much for building culture, which is what this season is all about.

2. How about Cam Mack?

After seeing Mack play for the first time back in October, the consensus was that it probably wasn’t so much a matter of if he would record a triple-double this season, but more so how many times he would do it.

The former junior college standout had his best day as a Husker on Friday and became the first NU player to post a triple-double in a regular-season game in program history.

Mack was confident, assertive, and decisive from the opening tip. When he plays like that, it changes everything for Nebraska’s offense.

What makes the performance even more special was that the Austin, Texas, native did it while playing a combined 80 minutes against Big Ten competition over just two days.

The only other to have a triple-double was Brennon Clemmons Sr., who had 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in an exhibition win over Northwest Sports Tours back in 2002.

3. Burke is coming into his own

For the first month of the season, Burke was just trying to find his role on an entirely new team with completely new teammates after a year off.

Now, he’s emerging as one of Nebraska’s go-to players.

Burke’s 18 points and season-high seven rebounds vs. Purdue were the latest highlights in an impressive recent run for the New Jersey native. He led NU with a season-high 25 points at Indiana, including draining a game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime.

He now leads the Huskers in scoring on the year at 13.7 points per game, and he also tops the team in 3-pointers made (19) and blocked shots (7). He ranks second in field goals made (53), 3-point percentage (.396), free throws made (26) and attempted (45), and steals (15).

Burke may not have been one of Hoiberg’s guys during this offseason’s roster overhaul, but he’s now become a fixture for the Huskers, both with his production and his clutch play as of late.