With an absent Sam Maniscalco and limited D.J. Richardson, the Illinois men’s basketball team grinded out another win Saturday, this time over Nebraska, 59-54, at the Assembly Hall in the teams’ first meeting as Big Ten opponents.

The win marked Illinois’ fifth of the season in games decided by five points or fewer. Illinois (14-3, 3-1 Big Ten) is 9-1 on the season in games decided by fewer than 10 points.

“We’ve had a couple close games, but I think as long as we get the W it’s good,” Illini sophomore Joseph Bertrand said.

Bertrand, who started Saturday’s game, keyed Illinois’ effort on offense with a career-high 25 points on 11-of-12 shooting. He has exploded on offense since the Dec. 22 Missouri game, shooting 72.3 percent from the field (34-of-47).

Bertrand got looks at the basket in large part because of a Nebraska (8-7, 0-4) double-team on Illinois center Meyers Leonard, which limited him to seven points and just five shot attempts from the field. Five attempts ties the second-lowest of the season for Leonard, who had recorded double-doubles in four of his last seven games before Saturday.

“He’s done a better job dealing with the post trap, but he’s got to realize it’s just a part of life,” Illinois head coach Bruce Weber said. “He should be proud of it, (that) they’re doing it. Now he’s got to get better at finding other ways to score.”

With Maniscalco again out with injury, an injured Richardson playing a reduced 21 minutes and Nebraska locked in on Leonard, Illinois rode its defense and points from its supporting cast to the win.

“You know, you win a game without your starting point guard, without your starting two guard, with Meyers floating around someplace in Assembly Hall,” Weber said.

Even without offensive production from Leonard, Illinois held a 34-12 advantage scoring in the paint. Illinois was outrebounded, however, 24-20.

The low rebounding numbers came in large part from a first half in which the teams had 12 turnovers apiece yet each shot at least 50 percent from the field.

Illinois trailed 25-22 at halftime after two big scoreless stretches, of nearly five minutes and four minutes, including the last 4:07 of the half.

Nebraska’s Dylan Talley turned the ball over with about 17 seconds left in the opening period, but the best shot Illinois could muster before halftime was a long-range desperation shot by Tyler Griffey near the buzzer that was not counted in the box score. The inability to get a look led to boos at the Assembly Hall as Illinois left the court at the break.

The boo birds were gone in the second half, though.

As in its last game, against Northwestern, when it opened the second half with an 11-2 run, Illinois opened the second half of Saturday’s game strong on offense, with an 8-2 run that saw it lead until the 11:13 mark of the second half.

From that point on, the game continued to stay close, with no team leading by more than six at any point in the contest.

Illinois won the turnover battle in the second half with an 8-2 advantage that Weber said may have been the difference in the game.

Also in Illinois’ favor was eight points from freshman Tracy Abrams and five from Myke Henry.

“We just kept saying keep grinding and grinding and find a way to make a play,” Weber said. “And a lot of different guys made plays.”