Vanderbilt’s Hail Mary Shot Misses by Narrow Margin as Nebraska Advances to Sweet 16 in Epic Fashion

No. 5 Vanderbilt came within an inch of making perhaps the most historic shot in program history until the ball did everything but fall.

Tyler Tanner’s shot from beyond midcourt to send the Commodores to the Sweet 16 went in and out to give No. 4 Nebraska a 74-72 victory and advance to the Sweet 16.

Nebraska entered the half with a 39-32 lead and led by as many as 10 at one point, but Vanderbilt rallied to lead by five with 5:34 left.

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Tyler Tanner of the Vanderbilt Commodores shoots the ball against Sam Hoiberg of the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the final seconds of the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 21, 2026, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

The Cornhuskers then responded with a 6-0 run to retake the lead, but Vanderbilt led 72-70 with less than a minute left after a Tanner layup, giving them 27 points on the night.

Those, however, were the final points of the game for Tanner and Vanderbilt. Rienk Mast tied the game with a shot with 37 seconds left, and Vanderbilt’s Chandler Bing missed a shot to take a late lead.

Nebraska then drove down the court and Pryce Sandfort found Braden Frager, who made a contested layup to take the lead with 2.2 seconds left.

Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Sam Hoiberg (1) celebrates with fans after defeating the Vanderbilt Commodores in a second round game of the 2026 NCAA men’s tournament at Paycom Center. (Alonzo Adams/Image Images)

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Vanderbilt called a timeout and the snap went to Tanner, who clearly had the rhythm of his shot. It was stopped from half-court, but the shot was a striking image of Gordon Hayward’s in the 2010 national title game against Duke: off the backboard, then off the rim, then off.

Literally everyone, including the Nebraska crowd in Oklahoma City, was in disbelief, but the party was on for the Reds after shock and relief quickly turned to celebration.

It’s the first time Nebraska has reached the Sweet 16 after eight previous appearances without getting there. In fact, this year is the first time they have won a match in the tournament.

Braden Frager of the Nebraska Cornhuskers celebrates after the win against the Vanderbilt Commodores in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 21, 2026, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

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Four Cornhuskers finished in double figures, with Sandfort and Frager adding 15 each. Nebraska will face the winner of No. 1 Florida and No. 9 Iowa.

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