FIRST HALF ANALYSIS:
Pryce Sandfort decided he wasn’t going to let Lindenwood have the lead for long. The Lions scored the first bucket of the game, and then it went downhill for them from there. A quick 8-0 run keyed by back-to-back 3’s by Sandfort and the Huskers raced out to a lead. Nebraska blew the door open early and took advantage of some sloppy turnovers by Lindenwood.
In the opening 8 minutes, the combination of Cale Jacobsen, Pryce Sandfort and Damon Wilkinson were beating Lindenwood by 10. The Huskers shot
the lights out of the gym, as they went 14 of their first 19 from the floor, including 6 made 3-pointers. Nebraska would be up 56-18 at the under 4 timeout in the half, but Lindenwood closed out the last 3:30 strong, going on a 14-5 run. Nebraska lead 61-32 at the break.
FIRST HALF STATS:
Lindenwood 12-33 for 36% from the floor. They went 1-11 for 9% from deep and 7-11 for 64% from the free-throw line. The Lions collected 16 rebounds, 7 of which were offensive. Lindenwood had 8 turnovers and 4 assists. They had 12 bench points.
The Lions were led by Malek Archie, who had 7 points. Matar Diop, Shamiere Green and Marsai Mason each had 3 rebounds. Green also had 2 assists.
Nebraska shot 21-32 for 66% from the floor. They went 9-18 for 50% from deep and 10-12 for 83% from the free-throw line. The Huskers collected 20 rebounds, 4 of which were offensive. Nebraska had 13 assists to just 5 turnovers and had 28 bench points.
The Huskers were led by Damon Wilkinson and Pryce Sandfort, who each had 17 points. Sandfort also had 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Braden Frager had 3 steals.
SECOND HALF ANALYSIS:
The second half had the feeling of a game that was out of reach. The pace that the Huskers played with certainly made it feel that way. Nebraska would trade baskets before going on a 7-0 run. The Huskers then seemingly went cold, particularly from deep. Nebraska would go 2-17 from beyond the arc in the entire half. Lindenwood wasn’t much better, going 2-9 from deep.
Wilkinson and Sandfort would battle for the team lead in points scored for Nebraska. It was ultimately won by Pryce. Nebraska’s depth got to get in on the action, which will be critical down the road. The good thing about blowout wins means the backups get plenty of reps. The Huskers and Lions played a pretty even half, but Nebraska had rested its starters for almost the last 10 minutes of the game.
FINAL STATS AND THOUGHTS:
Lindenwood shot 22-62 for 36% from the floor. They went 3-20 for 15% from deep and 13-19 for 68% from the free-throw line. The Lions collected 38 rebounds, 14 of which were offensive. Lindenwood committed 18 turnovers while only contributing 9 assists. They had 29 bench points.
The Lions were led by Shamiere Green, who had 12 points. Makhan Diouf had 9. Marsai Mason led the way with 10 rebounds. Green also had 3 assists to pace the Lions.
Nebraska shot 33-64 for 52% from the floor. They went 11-35 for 31% from deep and 17-24 for 71% from the free-throw line. The Huskers collected 41 rebounds, 13 of which were offensive. Nebraska had 19 assists to just 12 turnovers. They had 44 bench points.
The Huskers were led by Pryce Sandfort, who had 22 points. Damon Wilkinson had 19 off the bench. Sandfort also led the way with 8 rebounds. Cale Jacobsen had 5 assists. Braden Frager had 3 steals.
The first half could not have been much better for Nebraska. They absolutely demolished a team it should have. The only concerning thing for me was the offensive rebounds given up. That will haunt you in Big Ten play. The starters got crucial rest, the entire team played valuable minutes, but the crowd was denied another opportunity for a chicken sandwich. Someone miss 2 free-throws in a row please. The people want free food. All in all, pretty solid night. Nebraska plays Boise St on Sunday, November 15th, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at 12 p.m. from the Pentagon. The game can be seen on BTN.
