Northwestern had no answer for Nebraska’s lights-out shooting during their Wednesday night bout.
Following losses to then-No. 3 UCLA and then-No. 25 Illinois, the Wildcats (8-13, 2-8 Big Ten) fell 89-73 in a foul-ridden fight at Pinnacle Bank Arena, marking the team’s third straight defeat.
Senior forward Grace Sullivan added another milestone to her sparkling resume, eclipsing 1,000 career points. She finished the night with 16 points. Sophomore forward Tayla Thomas notched 19 points, eight rebounds and three steals.
The duo’s efforts were no match for the Cornhuskers (16-5, 5-5 Big Ten), who shot 52.6% from the floor and 11-for-21 from 3-point range in their dominant home win. After the first quarter, NU never cut the deficit to less than eight points.
After Nebraska won the opening tip and scored the game’s first points, Sullivan answered back with a signature fadeaway. The two squads traded makes, with neither team scoring on consecutive possessions until there were two minutes left in the first quarter.
With six minutes remaining in the quarter, Sullivan was fouled and headed to the free-throw line. She sank both of her shots, giving her four points on the day and 1,000 career points.
Nebraska pulled ahead with a 10-2 scoring run to close the first quarter. Cornhusker guard Logan Nissley swished a half-court buzzer-beater to seal a dominant quarter from beyond the arc for Nebraska.
In the second quarter, NU continued to fall behind, trailing 36-18 at one point. The ’Cats failed to make a 3-pointer in the first three minutes of the period, while the Cornhuskers rained down the long ball, shooting 7-for-9 in the first half.
With five minutes remaining in the quarter, Sullivan and senior guard Caroline Lau each picked up their third fouls and headed to the bench until halftime. Despite their absences, NU outscored Nebraska 11-6 to end the half and trailed 47-36.
The ’Cats’ defense slowed down the Cornhuskers during the second quarter, but the hosts still finished the half shooting 60.9% from the field.
Foul trouble was a problem for NU during the first half, where it committed 14 fouls. Five players committed at least two fouls during the first 20 minutes. Nebraska capitalized by making 12 of its 14 free throw attempts.
After cutting the deficit to nine early in the third quarter, coach Joe McKeown called an unorthodox timeout. Out of the timeout, the ’Cats allowed the Cornhuskers to go on a 7-2 scoring run.
The ’Cats tried to capitalize on the Cornhuskers’ seven third-quarter fouls, cutting their lead to single digits multiple times. However, Nebraska’s consistency from beyond the arc led to NU trailing 69-55 at the end of the quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the ’Cats didn’t score for the first three minutes. The foul bug continued for both squads, with Sullivan picking up her fourth violation early in the quarter.
The Cornhuskers continued to extend their lead, leading by as much as 22 at one point. NU cut the deficit back down as the game came toward a close, and Nebraska’s Eliza Maupin and Petra Bozan fouled out.
But the contest was all but over, and when the final buzzer sounded, the Cornhuskers claimed a 89-73 victory.
NU looks to get back in the win column when it faces Indiana on Sunday.
Email: [email protected]
X: @jemccl125
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— Women’s Basketball: No. 3 UCLA bullies Northwestern 80-46
— Women’s Basketball: Northwestern’s two-game winning streak ends in tight loss at No. 25 Illinois
