Nebraska MBB Recap: Huskers now 19-0 With 76-66 Win

FIRST HALF ANALYSIS:

This one started off a little interesting, as Washington committed 3 turnovers within the first 4 minutes. Nebraska would hit 3 straight field goals but only led by 2 points early. Nebraska would keep its slim lead as Zoom Diallo would battle Rienk Mast point for point. Both had 7 points in the opening 8 minutes. Nebraska would then take over as they would go on a 13-2 run over the next 3:30.

The Huskies would go 1 for 8 in that time frame. Nebraska would lose a key component as Braden Frager would roll his ankle while landing on the foot of a Washington player. Pryce Sandfort entered double figures, and the Huskers would extend their lead to such as well. Washington ended the half on a 3:09 scoring drought, and Nebraska would take a 41-28 lead into the locker room.

FIRST HALF STATS:

Washington shot 12-32 for 38% from the floor. They went 2-9 for 22% from deep and 2-2 from the free-throw line. The Huskies collected 17 rebounds, 6 of which were offensive. Washington had 5 assists and 5 turnovers, while scoring an impressive 20 points in the paint.

The Huskies were led by Zoom Diallo, who had 12 points. Hannes Steinbach had 6 rebounds to lead the way for Washington. Courtland Muldrew had 2 assists.

Nebraska shot 15-29 for 52% from the floor. They went 6-15 for 40% from deep and 5-7 for 71% from the free-throw line. The Huskers collected 17 rebounds, 3 of which were offensive. Nebraska had 9 assists to 3 turnovers, and had 14 points in the paint.

The Huskers were led by Pryce Sandfort, who had 13 points. Berke Buyuktuncel led the way with 6 rebounds. Jamarques Lawrence had 3 assists. Sam Hoiberg had 9 points and 4 rebounds, good enough for second in both categories.

SECOND HALF ANALYSIS:

Nebraska opened up the second half continuing what it had done in the first half. The Huskers’ shooting kept up and they opened up a 16 point lead. Sam Hoiberg entered the double figure range early in the second half, as he picked up the slack due to Braden Frager’s injury. Steinbach then tried to will Washington back into things, as he had recorded his 11th double-double of the season by the under 12 timeout.

Nebraska would go on a bit of a slump, going 3:16 without scoring. The closest Washington would get was 10 points in that timespan. Nebraska would not be troubled during the second half, as Nebraska would keep the lead between 10 and 15 points. Pryce Sandfort would record another 20 point game and the Huskers finished the game on cruise control.

FINAL STATS AND THOUGHTS:

Washington shot 27-61 for 44% from the floor. They went 6-21 for 28% from deep and 6-10 for 60% from the free-throw line. The Huskies collected 33 rebounds, 10 of which were offensive. Washington had 14 assists to 8 turnovers and had 40 points in the paint.

The Huskies were led by Hannes Steinbach, who had 21 points and 12 rebounds. Zoom Diallo had 18 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.

Nebraska shot 28-55 for 51% from the floor. They went 11-29 for 38% from deep and 9-12 for 75% from the free-throw line. The Huskers collected 31 rebounds, 4 of which were offensive. Nebraska had 18 assists to 8 turnovers and had 26 points in the paint.

The Huskers were led by Pryce Sandfort, who had 23 points. 3 other Huskers finished in double figures. Sam Hoiberg and Berke Buyuktuncel finished with 7 rebounds each. Hoiberg, Jamarques Lawrence and Rienk Mast all had 4 assists.

Save for the last 3 minutes when Nebraska didn’t score, all in all this was a pretty comfortable game. The big news over the next few days will be the severity of the Nebraska injuries, as Frager was in a walking boot after landing on an opponent’s foot and turning his ankle. Sam Hoiberg was seen limping at the end and Berke didn’t look 100% either. Minnesota is definitely a tough place to play, so the Huskers will need to bring everything they have on short notice.

Nebraska hit their average 3 pointers made with 11 again tonight. If the Huskers continue to shoot around 40% from beyond the arc they will cause massive problems for future defenses. Balanced scoring has been Nebraska’s M.O on the season, and tonight was no exception. The bench is getting awfully thin and quickly, so someone will need to step up there if Nebraska wants to give their starters a rest sometime soon.

The Huskers travel to Minnesota next. They take on the Golden Gophers on Saturday in Minneapolis. Tip-off is scheduled for 11 am and can be seen on FS1. The Huskers will look to improve to 20-0 on the season. Go Big Red!