A game that looked early on like Nebraska would potentially walk away with ease turned on its head as Penn State went on multiple runs. Though these runs never took the Huskers by surprise and they always
came back with another punch.
The biggest punch of the game came in the fourth quarter where we saw Logan Nissley light it up from three, Amiah Hargrove had career high 26 points, and Britt Prince notched another 20 point game.
Starting lineups are the same with Hake, Weaver, Prince, Bozan, and Petrie.
First Quarter
We tip off between the Huskers and the Nittany Lions, immediately Nebraska gets a steal and Petra Bozan starts the scoring off with a shoulder lean jumper. Another stout defensive stop leads to Jessica Petrie securing her first two points. Nebraska’s defense has been fairly aggressive already this afternoon causing three turnovers early. Jessica Petrie gets fouled and will head to the line and she splits the pair. Hailey Weaver reads the pass perfectly, intercepting the ball, and takes it to the rim for two. Penn State will call a timeout with 7:52 left in the first quarter, Nebraska is up 7-0.
Out of the timeout, Callin Hake causes another turnover and wastes no time getting the ball to Bozan for the bucket. Penn State has scored now on back to back possessions, but commit a foul right after. A three pointer for the Nittany Lions brings it to a two point game (9-7 Neb). Britt Prince has yet to score in this one which is a rare occasion, but this team has depth and her teammates are stepping up. Callin Hake sends a nice bounce pass to Eliza Maupin for two, Maupin rejects Merkle, giving way for Amiah Hargrove to notch her first points of the game. Amiah Hargrove will get sent to the charity stripe on the next possession and sinks both free throws (15-9 Neb). Kennadi Willams has an incredible hustle play to keep the ball inbounds on a steal and gets rewarded for it as she snipes the long range three. Penn State is trying to put pressure on Nebraska with a full court press, but it won’t matter as the Huskers get the ball over the line with ease. On that press, Logan Nissley will get fouled and have a chance at free points, she hits both. Britt Prince drives to the hoop, gets fouled and will shoot free throws, those free throws are Prince’s first points of the game.
Nebraska 22 Penn State 13
Second Quarter
Callin Hake causes a 10th turnover for Penn State and she’ll get free throws to show for it (2 of 2). Britt Prince gets her first field goal on a jumper where she had her defender fly right by her (26-18 Neb). Penn State has clawed their way back to a five point game after Gracie Merkle is awarded the and-1. Nebraska breaks the full court press, Hailey Weaver drives to the rim and gets fouled, splitting the pair. The Huskers just suffocated Penn State with some stifling defense which causes a five second violation, but will come away empty handed on the other end. The Nittany Lions drill a three to make it a one possession game. The three pointers for Nebraska just are not falling in this first half as they are shooting 11.1% (1-9) from long range. Moriah Murray for Penn State has just tied the ball game with a three (27-27). Nebraska has had some costly turnovers and it just led to a Nittany Lion two point lead. Britt Prince ties the game again, Penn State takes it back, Petra Bozan ties it, Penn State takes it back. This game has been very back and forth the last few minutes.
Eliza Maupin commits a foul that leads to free throws for Penn State (31-35 PSU). Amiah Hargrove hits the huge three to bring it to a one point game, drilling just the second three for Nebraska. Murray for Penn State has been lethal from the long range as she sinks another to put PSU up four. Nebraska is unfortunately getting very good looks and shots up, but nothing is falling for them. Jessica Petrie will commit a turnover before the half, Huskers down four.
Nebraska 34 Penn State 38
Halftime Stats
Amiah Hargrove: 7 points
Petra Bozan: 6 points, 3 rebounds
Britt Prince: 6 points
Callin Hake: 5 assists
Nebraska is shooting just 36.7 percent from the floor and an underwhelming 16.7 percent from beyond the arc. Penn State is hitting 45.2 percent of their shots, including 50% from three. Nebraska is getting destroyed in rebounds 12-22, but has a 8-6 assist to turnover ratio.
Third Quarter
Britt Prince misses a three to start off the third quarter, but drills the second attempt on the next possession. Penn State has been very good in balancing their offensive production inside and out. Prince will head to the line for free throws and she’ll hit both, but Merkle gets them right back (39-44 PSU). Amiah Hargrove gets the steal and then gets rewarded with two on the other end making it a three point game. Shall I say her name again? Amiah Hargrove connects on the huge three to pull Nebraska within one. Penn State is slapped with an offensive foul that will wipe a bucket off the scoreboard and we hit a media timeout with 6:06 left in the third quarter.
Britt Prince misses the layup out of the timeout, but was fouled on the way up and she downs both of her freebies. With those free throws, Prince puts Nebraska up one (46-45). Kennadi Williams gets called for a foul that I’m not sure should have been, regardless free throws for PSU puts them up one. Amiah Hargrove gets the second chance points and Nebraska retakes the lead, unfortunately the Nittany Lions take it right back. Penn State is up 49-48 as we go to another media timeout with 4:40 left in the third.
Jessica Petrie scores immediately out of the timeout, giving Nebraska the lead. Amiah Hargrove steals the back door pass, leading Callin Hake a lane to the basket, she’ll get fouled and head to the line (1 of 2). Kennadi Williams in a hustle play for the ball, knocks heads with a Penn State player. Both seem to be okay, but Williams heads to the locker room. Anytime Nebraska needs points, Amiah Hargrove seems to be the one to do it (55-54 Neb). This game doesn’t feel like one team is going to really break away from the other, probably going to come down to who can calm down the turnovers and fouls. Speaking of fouls, Jessica Petrie got fouled as the ball falls through the net and will have a chance at three, she converts. Logan Nissley welcome to the party, she drills the three and puts Nebraska up five (61-56). Britt Prince and Petra Bozan keep the point differential at five against Penn State’s best efforts to cut to down to less.
Nebraska 65 Penn State 60
Fourth Quarter
Free throws are happening for Petra Bozan right off the bat, but only hits one of two. Bozan has made up for it by hitting back to back field goals, putting the Huskers up 10. This does not sit well with Penn State and they take an incredibly early timeout with 8:53 left in the game. Good news, Kennadi Williams did come back out of the locker room and rejoined the huddle. So hopefully everything is all good there.
Penn State makes good use of that timeout has they have a chance to take three points the hard way and they do. Petra Bozan bucket, Penn State bucket, Petra Bozan bucket. Back and forth we go, Bozan is up to 17 points. PSU drills the three and the same girl who hit it also gets the layup making it a four point game. Logan Nissley has seen enough and snipes the three to extend the lead to seven (77-70). The Nittany Lions go on a small run, but Nissley once more stops it with a three, she’s got 11. Amiah Hargrove is left wide open at the top of the key and makes PSU pay, she’s got a new career high 19 points. Another three from guess who? Logan Nissley is the correct answer, she has broke out in this quarter and extended the Husker lead to 12 (86-74). A media timeout with under four minutes left.
Nebraska’s defense causes PSU to commit a three second violation and Amiah Hargrove makes good on another mid range jumper. Penn State takes two back, but Jessica Petrie doesn’t want another Nittany Lions run so she gets the second chance bucket to fall. Long range bombs falling from everywhere and everyone, Hargrove and Prince hit back to back. Everything is falling for Nebraska right now after nothing was the half before. Jessica Petrie gets a steal and it leads Hargrove to another layup and PSU has to call another timeout with 1:14 left (98-78 Neb). Penn State can’t get the ball to fall through the net out of the timeout, but guess what? Hailey Weaver can as she hits another three for Nebraska. That shot puts the Huskers over the century mark. A buzzer beater three for PSU will fall, but all for not as the Huskers take the win 101-83.
Nebraska 101 Penn State 83
Postgame Stats
Amiah Hargrove: 26 points (career high), 3 rebounds
Britt Prince: 20 points, 6 rebounds
Petra Bozan: 17 points, 4 rebounds
Logan Nissley: 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
Jessica Petrie: 10 points, 4 rebounds
Callin Hake: 8 assists
Nebraska ended the game shooting 52.9 percent from the field, including 41.4 percent from long range. Nebraska still lost the rebounding battle 26-29, but assisted on 26 shots and only committed 8 turnovers.
