I’ve been waiting for Callin Hake’s offensive game to come back to the potential that we’ve all seen and tonight it did. A season high 17 points, 6-9 from the field, is something everyone is glad to see and hoping
it will stick around. Hake, whose defensive game is one of the best in the country, could be incredibly scary if the offense is consistent with her. Nonetheless, she facilitates just as well as anybody, so scoring isn’t always on the forefront.
If anybody is surprised that Britt Prince didn’t notch 20 points tonight, I’ll take full credit since I bet on her to get 20 points. Good news is that even without the scoring presence of Prince, the Huskers still have players to step up and lead the team to a dominate win.
Nebraska’s lineup looks to be the same as always with Hake, Weaver, Prince, Petrie, and Bozan.
First Quarter
After committing an early turnover and going down four, Hailey Weaver hits a three to bring it within one. Nebraska has two very early turnovers and they have both led to Omaha baskets, the Mavericks lead 6-3. This is one of the worst displays of basketball I’ve seen coming from a team who should theoretically beat their opponent by 40. Nebraska is not rebounding and is pretty much letting Omaha get to the rim whenever and however they want. The Huskers call a timeout after UNO gets another bucket and the foul (3-10 UNO).
Omaha misses the free throw, falling into the hands of Amiah Hargrove and it turns into a Callin Hake three. Britt Prince plucks the ball out of the air and has a chance at fast break points, she does the unselfish play and sends it to the backside to a running Hargrove. On back to back possessions, it’s Amiah Hargrove buckets, she ties the ball game at 10. Kennadi Williams drills a three from the top of the key, giving Nebraska their first lead, Omaha calls a timeout.
Nebraska has found themselves in a bit of a scoring drought hitting just one of their last seven field goals and of course, as I type this, Claire Johnson stops it with a two. Britt Prince gets a steal and sends it ahead to a wide open Eliza Maupin (17-15 Neb). Prince has found herself in the scoring column for the first time tonight with a three, which she was guarded by two defenders.
Nebraska 20 Omaha 15
Second Quarter
Jessica Petrie starts the quarter off with two points, Petra Bozan picks off the basketball, but Petrie loses the handle and will turn the ball over. Logan Nissley checks back into the ball game and immediately makes an impact on a break away layup. Omaha gets fouled, but misses both free throws leading to an Amiah Hargrove bucket (26-17 Neb). Nebraska has started to up their defensive pressure, this time around causing a 10 second violation. Logan Nissley is back to hitting threes like she was last game and on the next possession, Callin Hake drills another. Nebraska leads 32-19 as we go to a media timeout with 4:41 left.
Eliza Maupin will try to collect three points the hard way and she will, Nebraska is on a 9-0 run over the last two minutes. Callin Hake has drained back to back three pointers, she’s got 12 points and Nebraska up 20 (41-21). Kennadi Willimas is such a hustler and this is why I enjoy seeing her on the floor because of saves like she just made. Hake has essentially taken this quarter over as she gets the steal and a wide open lane to the basket. This is just me talking about Callin Hake now because she just hit another three. That’s five. Five threes and 17 points. Callin Hake gets the hot hand green light to end the half, but does not convert on the long range bomb. The miss is only her third of the night, so I’ll be curious to see if she continues with her offensive explosion or if another teammate has a go at it. Britt Prince only has three points and has only taken two shots, so maybe it will be her time.
Nebraska 46 Omaha 22
Halftime Stats
Callin Hake: 17 points, 3 assists
Amiah Hargrove: 6 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists
Eliza Maupin: 5 points, 3 rebounds
Logan Nissley: 5 points
Kennadi Williams: 4 assists
Nebraska is shooting 41.9% from the field, including 34.6% from beyond the arc. The Huskers are winning the rebounding battle 24-17, they also have 15 assists and only five turnovers. They have forced Omaha into 15 turnovers already in the first half.
The Mavericks are shooting 45.5% from the field, but have yet to connect from long range.
Third Quarter
Nebraska starts the quarter forcing Omaha into a shot clock violation and then Jessica Petrie hits the three. Nebraska again forces a turnover and again, Jessica Petrie drills a three (52-24 Neb). Petra Bozan has her mid range fall, Britt Prince runs the floor and gets rewarded for it with a bucket. Petrie hits another jumper and Logan Nissley notches her second three of the night after a Callin Hake steal. Nebraska is really starting to pull away now as the offense is just converting on almost everything they out up. Jessica Petrie has the bucket and gets fouled, she’ll shoot free throws when they get back from the media timeout. Nebraska leads 63-26 with 4:10 left in the third.
Omaha has missed three straight threes, that’s a good thing and then you realize that it was all in one possession and Nebraska gave up all those rebounds. The Huskers have gone on a scoring drought of three minutes here late in the third. Kennadi Williams is a victim, once again, of getting called for a foul that isn’t a foul. Amiah Hargrove gets fouled and will head to the line, she splits the pair and Eliza Maupin cleans up the miss leading Hargrove to score two anyway (66-30 Neb). Right before the quarter ends, Hargrove hits another jumper and she’s up to 11 points on the evening.
Nebraska 68 Omaha 30
Fourth Quarter
Eliza Maupin’s jumper is pure on one end, then Fisher gets a big block on the other. Media timeout early to take a look at something, but not entirely sure what it is as of right now. Sounds like they are looking at possession of the ball, currently in the favor of the Huskers. Possession stays with Nebraska, but a traveling call gives the ball back to the Mavericks. I don’t know if I should laugh or be kind of annoyed because Omaha just pulled a Caitlin Clark when they played UCONN two years ago, where Clark threw the ball off of Paige Bueckers’ back, except Omaha just scored off of it. Britt Prince gets the steal and finds a streaking Alanna Neale for her first points of the night. Prince snipes the fast break three assisted by Callin Hake, with that three, Prince hits 600 career points. Media timeout with 5:00 left in the game.
Not going to lie, I don’t even know what to write right now. It’s been nothing but sloppy basketball, it would like a little like this; missed shot, turnover, steal, foul, foul, turnover, turnover, turnover, missed shot, turnover. No one wants to read about that, but thankfully Petra Bozan gives me a little something to talk about as she gets her fancy footwork layup to fall. Claire Johnson is headed to the charity stripe to shoot two and she’ll make them both (83-34 Neb). Eliza Maupin swats a Maverick player and Claire Johnson takes it coast to coast. Petra Bozan’s layup is the last time the ball will fall through either net as the game comes to a close. Nebraska gets the 52 point win and will extend their record to 10-0.
Nebraska 87 Omaha 35
Postgame Stats
Callin Hake: 17 points, 6 assists
Jessica Petrie: 14 points, 7 rebounds
Amiah Hargrove: 11 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists
Britt Prince: 8 points, 5 assists
Logan Nissley: 8 points
Petra Bozan: 8 points
Eliza Maupin: 7 points, 6 rebounds
Kennadi Williams: 6 assists
Nebraska shot 46.1% from the field, including 32.5% from beyond the arc. The Huskers ended up winning the rebounding battle 41-36, assisted on 29 shots and only committed 11 turnovers.
