Huskers Rally For Win Over Illini
Huskers.com
Indianapolis - Big Ten All-Freshman
Britt Prince scored a team-high 17 points, while
Jessica Petrie scored nine points in the fourth quarter to help the Huskers rally from a nine-point third-quarter deficit for a 74-70 win over Illinois in the TIAA Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament second round on Thursday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
With its fourth victory in the last five games, 10th-seeded Nebraska improved to 21-10 overall (10-8 Big Ten) and advanced to Friday's quarterfinal against No. 2 seed UCLA. Tip-off against the AP No. 4 Bruins (27-2,) is set for 5:30 p.m. (CT) with live television coverage by the Big Ten Network.
Seventh-seeded Illinois slipped to 21-9 (11-7 Big Ten) on the season, as Nebraska avenged a 77-68 loss to the Fighting Illini in Champaign on Feb. 16.
Prince hit 6-of-10 shots from the field including all three of her three-point attempts in the game, while adding a team-high five assists for the Big Red. Prince hit back-to-back short jumpers to tie the game at 65 with 2:18 left, after the Huskers fell behind 56-47 in the closing seconds of the third quarter.
Petrie, a 6-2 sophomore forward from Gold Coast, Australia, then gave Nebraska the lead for good with a huge three-pointer from the left wing to make it 68-65 with 1:34 left.
Genesis Bryant, who scored 17 of her game-high 20 points for the Illini in the second half, hit a pair of free throws to cut the margin to one with 1:16 left. Petrie then provided a layup on a baseline inbounds play that included an outstanding screen from
Logan Nissley with 26.8 seconds left after Nissley had kept the possession alive with two enormous offensive rebounds for the Huskers.
Nebraska then got a defensive stop that ended with an
Alexis Markowski defensive rebound.
Callin Hake was fouled and calmly stepped to the free throw line with 11 seconds left to sink both free throws to give NU a 72-67 edge.
Prince sealed the victory with two more free throws.
Petrie finished with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting while adding five rebounds, two assists and two early blocked shots in the game. Nissley, who started Nebraska's late rally with a layup at the buzzer to end the third quarter, finished with eight points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Freshman
Petra Bozan gave a huge lift to the Big Red inside with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a three-point play midway through the fourth quarter that pulled Nebraska within 60-59.
The double-figure efforts from Bozan and Petrie supplied substantial support inside to Markowski, who was held to nine points and four rebounds. Markowski added two assists, two steals and two blocks.
Hake added seven points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals, while
Alberte Rimdal also pitched in seven points off the bench. Illinois natives
Kendall Moriarty and
Amiah Hargrove rounded out the scoring for the Huskers with two points apiece in a true team effort in which Nebraska's bench outscored the Illini, 22-7.
For the game, Nebraska hit 28-of-57 shots (.491), including 8-of-16 threes. The Huskers also connected on 10-of-12 free throws, including all five in the decisive fourth quarter. The Big Red won the rebounding battle, 30-27, including 12-6 in the fourth quarter.
Illinois connected on 26-of-57 shots (.456), including 5-of-14 threes (.357), while going 13-for-15 at the line. The Illini won the turnover battle, 15-12.
Kendall Bostic scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds but was held to just one second-half field goal and was scoreless in the fourth quarter. Adalia McKenzie added 16 points and a game-high 10 assists - all in the first three quarters for the Illini.
In an entertaining first half, Illinois jumped out to a 13-2 lead before Nebraska responded with a 7-0 run to cut the lead to four points at 19-15 at the end of the first quarter.
The Huskers continued to cut lead in the second quarter, trimming the margin to one point on two occasions, before the Illini took a 32-30 lead to the half.
Prince and Bozan led Nebraska with eight points apiece. Bozan went 4-for-4 in the half, while Prince hit 3-of-5 shots including both of her three-point attempts. Prince added three assists for the Huskers.
Nebraska hit 12-of-28 shots (.429) in the half, including 3-of-7 threes (.429), while going 3-for-4 at the line.
Illinois got 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting from Bostic, while McKenzie added nine points and six assists in the half.
The Fighting Illini hit 14-of-28 shots, including 1-of-3 threes and 3-of-4 three-point attempts. Both teams committed seven first-half turnovers, while Illinois won the first-half battle of the boards, 16-13.
Nebraska started the second half strong with a three from Nissley, a layup from Hake and a three from Prince to take its first lead of the game at 38-37 with 7:11 left in the third period. Nissley's second three-pointer put NU up 41-39 with 6:04 left, and a Rimdal three-point play kept the Huskers in front at 44-42 with 4:29 left in quarter.
However, McKenzie and Bryant then teamed up on an 8-0 Illini run to claim a 50-44 lead with 2:26 left in the third. The lead grew to 56-47 before Nissley's third quarter buzzer beater. Illinois won the third quarter 24-19, before Nebraska responded with a decisive 25-14 edge in the fourth.
