Advertisement
basketball Edit

Nebraska keeps on rolling in 78-67 win over Illinois

Nebraska shot 53.6 percent from the field and out-rebounded Illinois 42-24.
Nebraska shot 53.6 percent from the field and out-rebounded Illinois 42-24.


FINAL BOX SCORE

Nebraska traveled to Illinois on Saturday for one of its most pivotal games of the season yet in terms of keeping its recent momentum going and its postseason hopes alive.

So it was fitting that two Chicago natives helped lead the way to an impressive 78-67 victory over the Fighting Illini.

Freshman guard Glynn Watson had 17 points and freshman forward Edward Morrow had six points and six rebounds, while junior guard Andrew White dropped game-highs 21 points and 13 boards, as NU won its third straight Big Ten game and improved to 11-8 overall and 3-3 in league play.

“It’s a big win,” Watson told reporters after the game. “A big road win, also. We have Michigan State next, and we’re going to prepare for that, and we’re just going to keep on playing defense. That’s what (head coach Tim Miles) has been telling us the whole time, is defense, defense, defense. We did that against Rutgers and Minnesota and now Illinois. We’ve got another big road game, and we’ve just got to keep fighting.”

Watson got Nebraska going with seven points in the first 4:30 minutes off the game, but Illinois found its stroke from beyond the arc early and knocked down three straight 3-pointers to take a 13-9 lead.

But the Huskers responded with a 9-2 run and then a 17-2 spurt a few minutes later to jump out to their biggest lead of the half at 35-23 following four straight free throws by White. A 3-pointer by Aaron Jordan cut it to seven with 18 seconds left in the half, but White tipped in a miss by senior forward Shavon Shields at the buzzer to send NU into halftime up 39-30.

“I think the mainly what got me going was on the offensive rebounds," White said. "I started the game really slowly. They did a good job defending, but I think my rebounding on both ends sparked my offensive game, and then my teammates did a good job of getting me some open looks.”

Five Huskers scored at least six points in the first half, led by nine points and four rebounds by junior guard Tai Webster off the bench. Nebraska shot 55.2 percent from the field as a team, while Illinois struggled through the first 20 minutes by shooting 34.5 percent and going just 6-of-20 (30 percent) from beyond the arc.

Nebraska continued to roll on into the second half, as another 10-0 run pushed the lead to its biggest margin yet at 53-39 after a basket by White with 13 minutes left to play.

Illinois kept things within reach by responding with an 8-0 rally of its own, pulling to within 53-48 with just under 12 minutes to play.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by White and Webster pushed the lead back up to double digits with nine minutes left, and that would turn into a 12-3 run by NU that made it 65-51 on a jumper by White with 7:44 to go.

Illinois got it down to as few as 67-61 with 3:26 left, but Watson came back with a clutch jumper and then Shields added a free throw to increase the lead to nine with just under two minutes on he clock.

The Illini hit another 3-pointer to bring it down to six, but once again the Huskers were able to answer, this time with a layup by Webster with 1:24 remaining.

Eight more free throws by Webster, White, Watson and Shields in the final minute would seal the victory from there.

“It seemed like we were able to string together some stops," Miles said. "Glynn had a great steal along the baseline, Drew (White) was defensive rebounding like crazy, and I know Ed had a blocked shot late. There was different things at different times, and then of course you have to score. I just thought we did enough to keep scoring. Tai Webster had 16 (points), and when we can get that third scorer going … tonight we had four guys, and whenever you’ve got four guys like that you’re in like Flynn. “

Webster finished with 16 points and six rebounds off the bench, while Shields added 14 points and five assists.

The Huskers will hit the road again on Wednesday when they travel to take on No. 4 Michigan State in East Lansing, with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m. The game will be aired on the Big Ten Network.

Around the rim

***Nebraska’s win was the program’s first in Champaign since 1921, snapping a nine-game losing streak to Illinois in Champaign.

***Nebraska shot 50 or better in both halves, and has shot 50 percent or better in each of the last seven halves dating back to the Iowa game.

***White finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds for his third double-double of the season and first in Big Ten play. White now has six games of at least 20 points.

***White’s 13 rebounds is a career high (11 vs. Samford on Dec. 20).

***Watson matched his career high with 17 points (also vs. Rhode Island).

***Nebraska’s last consecutive road wins came in 2014 (at Northwestern; at Michigan State).

***Illinois 37 3-pointers matched a school record by a Husker opponent (Baylor Feb. 14, 1998).

Advertisement