Freshmen Alexis Markowski and Allison Weidner scored 18 of the Huskers last 20 points in a 76-61 win over Penn State Thursday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena. It was Nebraska’s fourth straight win, all at home and all in the last eight days.
The Huskers are now 17-4 overall and 6-4 in the Big Ten. The Penn State Lady Lions couldn’t contain one of the highest scoring offenses in the conference and are now 9-12, with a conference record of 3-8.
The Huskers dominated the middle with 40 points inside the paint compared to 24 for Penn State. Markowski led the Huskers scoring with 20 points, Weidner and Izzy Bourne had 14 each.
Jaz Shelley had 12 rebounds and 11 assists, coming up four points short of a triple-double-double.
“She’s a great teammate and it’s great to see her flourish,” Izzy Bourne said.
Shelley recorded her 6th double-double of the season, the second with at least 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Nebraska held Penn State to 38.6% from the field (22-57) and just 21.1% behind the 3-point line (4-19). The Huskers took 10 more shots from the field while outreboudning Penn State 46-36.
The Huskers controlled the fourth quarter to extend the lead from three to 15 within the last 10 minutes. In the last 7:16 of the game, Penn State missed their last eight field goal attempts, allowing the Huskers to pull away.
“I’m giving my team the day off (Friday),” Huskers Coach Amy Williams said after the game. “And we will be ready for a big game against Maryland on Sunday.”
In a competitive back and forth first half, Nebraska built a 34-28 lead over Penn State. The Nebraska defense shut down Penn State on long scoring droughts in each quarter, the first of which lasted over four minutes in the first quarter. Toward the end of the second quarter, Penn State had to overcome another three-minute scoring drought to try and keep pace.
Bourne and Shelley got the Huskers rolling in the first half. Bourne was in double figures with 10 points and 4 rebounds, while Shelley had 3 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Makenna Marisa, the Lady Lion’s leading scorer, finished with 27 points to help Penn State stay in the game, but eventually fouled out in the final quarter.
Penn State shot 44% and Nebraska 42% from the field in the first half. Nebraska succeeded in forcing 8 turnovers against Penn State and won the rebound battle (19-16).
Nebraska will get a couple days off before a huge matchup against a Top-25 team in Maryland on Sunday. The tip-off between the Huskers and Terrapins is set for Noon CT at XFINITY Center in College Park, Maryland. It’s the first of a three-game road trip.
