LINCOLN, Neb. -- No. 7 Wisconsin survived an overtime challenge from a team that already knocked off two ranked opponents, earning a 70-69 victory over Nebraska on Thursday night in a Big Ten game.

Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Nigel Hayes made a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 19 seconds remaining for what proved to be the winning points before a spirited crowd of 14,568 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Hayes entered the game having made just 17 of 57 3-point attempts (29.8 percent) this season.

"Here we are again, continuing to find a way," Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. "It was a gut check again, they answered the call when they had to, (but) we've got to be better. We have to be able to finish around the paint a little bit better, take care of the ball better and keep them off the glass."

Nebraska forced overtime when sophomore forward Michael Jacobson made a 3-pointer from the right key with three-10ths of a second to play in regulation to tie the score 58-58.

Shooting was a struggle for both teams. The accuracy woes cost Wisconsin (21-3, 10-1 Big Ten) a chance to pull away from the pesky Cornhuskers (10-14, 4-8), while Nebraska missed many chances to take a lead earlier in the game.

The Badgers made just 36.5 percent of their field-goal attempts, while the Cornhuskers were slightly better at 40 percent.

Nebraska previously posted victories over Indiana, when the Hoosiers were ranked, and Purdue. The Cornhuskers also defeated Maryland on Jan. 1 when the Terrapins, who now are No. 21, were unranked.

The Cornhuskers led three times in overtime, regaining the advantage at 69-67 for the last time. The Badgers' Bronson Koenig had hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to tie the score at 67.

Hayes led all players with 20 points, with Zak Showalter adding 15 points and Koenig 12 for Wisconsin. The Cornhuskers were led by Tai Webster's 19 points. Glynn Watson Jr. added 15 points, and Jacobson finished with 10.

"It was a gritty effort by our team," Nebraska coach Tim Miles said. "I never questioned their resolve and their heart. It seems like we do just enough to lose. There's a lot of different factors that go into that tonight, not just a play here or a play there. It's a big picture thing that we can improve on."

Nebraska lost for the eighth time in games. Nine of the Cornhuskers' 12 conference games were decided by eight points or fewer, including seven by four points or fewer.

The biggest lead that Wisconsin could get in the second half was seven points at 39-32.

A pass by Ethan Happ in the lane was intercepted by Nebraska forward Isaiah Roby, who took the ball end-to-end for a layup that put the Cornhuskers ahead 50-49. Two free throws by Jacobson with 4:22 to go finished a 9-0 run and gave Nebraska a 52-49 lead.

Wisconsin got the lead back with two free throws by Showalter and a layup by Koenig for a 53-52 advantage. Nebraska tied the score at 53 before Showalter hit a 3-pointer from the left wing as the 30-second shot clock expired.

Neither team got off to a particularly fast start from the field. The Cornhuskers and Badgers only had four field goals apiece through the first eight minutes, but two of Wisconsin's were 3-pointers.

The Badgers also made four free throws, and that provided them with a 14-8 lead. The bigger concern for Wisconsin was that Hayes got two quick fouls and had to retreat to the sideline just 3:14 into the game.

Wisconsin built its first double-digit lead at 21-11 on a tip-in by Happ. The Cornhuskers put together a 7-0 run, highlighted by a 3-pointer from the top of the key by Watson, to reduce their deficit to 21-18.

The Badgers got that lead back to 25-20 on a put back by Charles Thomas with 3:49 remaining before halftime. Those were the last two points Wisconsin scored in the first half.

Between Nebraska's spirited defensive effort and several well-executed set plays, the Cornhuskers cut the Badgers' lead to 25-24 by the intermission. First it was two free throws by Webster with 3:40 to go, then a layup by Ed Morrow with two seconds remaining sent Nebraska to the locker room with momentum.

NOTES: Greg Gard is now 36-11 in less than two full seasons as Wisconsin's head coach. That is the best start for a Wisconsin coach in 100 years. ... Nebraska G Tai Webster is one of four major conference players who have scored in double figures every game this season. The 6-foot-4 senior from Auckland, New Zealand, made just 6 of 18 shots from the floor Thursday.