FIRST HALF ANALYSIS:
Nebraska came out shooting the ball very well, hitting their first 4 field goal attempts and getting out to a 9-1 lead. Huskers would take a double-digit lead just 4 minutes into the contest, but then
started to get a little sloppy with the basketball. 4 turnovers in just under 3 minutes gave the Buckeyes a little glimpse, as they would turn those into 7 points. The Huskers were red hot from the floor, as they started 8-13 in the opening 8 minutes.
Ohio State leading scorer Bruce Thorton finally got on the board with 8 minutes left in the half. Nebraska would go on a 12-0 run to take a 14 point lead. Ohio State would force more turnovers though, and they would climb back into the game by going on a quick 7-0 run themselves. Nebraska led the half wire to wire, and took a 38-31 lead into the locker room.
FIRST HALF STATS:
Nebraska shot 14-28 for 50% from the floor. They went 5-15 for 33% from deep and a perfect 5-5 from the free-throw line. The Huskers collected 21 rebounds, 4 of which were offensive. Nebraska had 8 turnovers to 7 assists. They had 12 bench points.
The Huskers were led by Jamarques Lawrence, who had 7 points. Berke Buyuktuncel, Sam Hoiberg and Braden Frager each had 6. Buyuktuncel and Hoiberg led the way with 5 rebounds each. Hoiberg also had 3 assists.
Ohio State shot 12-31 for 39% from the floor. They went 5-14 for 36% from deep and 2-5 for 40% from the free-throw line. The Buckeyes collected 13 rebounds, 3 of which were offensive. Ohio State had 8 assists to just 4 turnovers. They scored 11 points off of Nebraska turnovers.
The Buckeyes were led by John Mobley Jr., who had 12 points. Amare Bynum led the way with 4 rebounds. Bruce Thorton led the way with 3 assists.
SECOND HALF ANALYSIS:
Nebraska came out almost the opposite way of the first half. Nebraska started just 2-8 from the floor, and the lead shrunk to just 4 points. Nebraska would keep the lead at 4 at the under 12 timeout, mainly because neither team was great from the floor. The Huskers were 4-13 and the Buckeyes were 4-10. Nebraska started to look tired offensively, as the Michigan State game on Friday night started to take its toll.
The Huskers were leaving multiple shots short, particularly from deep, and the ball wasn’t moving nearly as much as it had in the first 20 minutes. Ohio State would take its first lead of the night at the 10:24 mark courtesy of a pair of Bruce Thorton free-throws. Nebraska, who traded the lead back and forth for a couple of minutes, used an 8-0 run to take a 7 point lead at the under 4 timeout.
Nebraska would not relinquish the lead, and the Huskers hit just from the free-throw line to stave off a Buckeyes comeback. Cristoph Tilly had a look from 3 to tie it with 2 seconds to go, but Nebraska got the rebound and ran out the clock.
FINAL STATS AND THOUGHTS:
Nebraska shot 25-57 for 44% from the floor. They went 8-29 for 28% from deep and 14-17 for 82% from the free-throw line. The Huskers collected 38 rebounds, 8 of which were offensive. Nebraska had 12 assists and 12 turnovers. Nebraska had 22 bench points.
The Huskers were led by Braden Frager, who had 15 points off the bench. Mast, Sandfort and Lawrence all finished in double figures. Sam Hoiberg led the way with 9 rebounds, while Buyuktuncel chipped in 7. Hoiberg also led the way with 4 assists.
Ohio State shot 26-57 for 46% from the floor. They went 9-26 for 35% from deep and 8-13 for 62% from the free-throw line. The Buckeyes collected 29 rebounds, 4 of which were offensive. Ohio State had 13 assists to 8 turnovers and had 30 points in the paint.
The Buckeyes were led by John Mobley Jr., who had 22 points. Bruce Thorton had 16 points, 14 of which came in the second half. Amare Bynum led the way with 9 rebounds. Thorton paced the Buckeyes with 7 assists.
Well, we are officially halfway through the season, and the Huskers are still undefeated…let that sink in. A perfect 15-0, 4-0 in conference play with two really scrappy wins on the road. Counting last season’s College Basketball Crown Tournament win, the Huskers have now won 19 straight. This team has won every way imaginable right now, and every tight ballgame they have looked unflustered.
This team continues to defy expectations. I picked them to finish 11th preseason, with them finishing as high as 7th if they got lucky. I think I mistook them by a wide margin. This group could threaten the top 5 in conference play. Nebraska continues to make history, including being ranked in the top 10 in the newest AP Poll. They haven’t done that in 60 years. Next up is Indiana in Bloomington. Tip-off is Saturday at 11:00 am and can be seen on the Big Ten Network.
