SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Despite a career-high 28 points from Brice Williams, the Nebraska men’s basketball team suffered its first loss of the season, falling 77-74 to Saint Mary’s Sunday afternoon at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The sellout crowd of 3,241 watched Nebraska (2-1) rally from a 14-point first-half deficit and a 10-point hole late in the second half. Williams, who was a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line and hit 8-of-12 shots overall, nearly sent the game into overtime but missed a contested 3-pointer as time expired.

Saint Mary’s (4-0), fueled by freshman Mikey Lewis’ 23-point performance, hit 11 3-pointers and converted 15 Nebraska turnovers into 21 points. Lewis sealed the victory with two free throws in the final seconds.

Berke Büyüktuncel added a career-high 15 points and Andrew Morgan and Rollie Worster each contributing 10 points for the Huskers. Nebraska finished 25-for-29 at the line — their best performance since last season’s NCAA Tournament.

“It’s a tough loss, but I’m proud of the fight we showed,” Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We’ve got to clean up the turnovers, but Brice kept us in it and Berke gave us a big boost in the second half.”

In the first half, Saint Mary’s hit eight of their first 12 shots to build a 23-9 lead. Luke Barrett scored 13 of his 15 points before halftime, helping the Gaels hit seven 3-pointers in the opening half. Nebraska chipped away late in the half, using a 10-1 run to pull within 46-43 at the break.

Nebraska took their first lead of the game early in the second half on a Williams 3-pointer just 44 seconds in. Büyüktuncel added consecutive putbacks during a 9-2 run to give the Huskers their largest lead at 54-49 with 15:05 to play. Saint Mary’s responded with a 9-0 spurt, highlighted by Lewis and Augustas Marciulionis from deep, reclaiming a lead they would not relinquish.

The Gaels pushed their advantage to 10 with just over four minutes left, but Williams scored six points during an 11-2 Husker rally that cut the deficit to 75-74 with 6.6 seconds remaining. After Lewis’ clutch free throws extended the lead to three, the Huskers’ final possession ended with a Williams’ missed 3-pointer.

The loss drops Nebraska to 1-2 all-time against Saint Mary’s and 2-1 in games played at the Sanford Pentagon. The Huskers now turn their attention to an in-state rival, No. 14 Creighton, on Friday. Tipoff at the CHI Health Center in Omaha is set for 7 p.m. CST, with coverage on the Husker Sports Network, including Cheyenne County Country (1340 AM, 95.7 FM) in Sidney.