Following a 79-74 loss to Creighton, it has just been flat out tough to score on these Huskers.
On Friday, USC scored 54 in a 13-point Nebraska win to open the South Point Shootout in Las Vegas. On Saturday, Sacred Heart was held to 49.
Nebraska gave up just one made shot from the field over the first 15 minutes—a quarter and a half—and raced out to a 29-9 lead. Fifteen points from senior point guard Hannah Whitish and 11 points from sophomore wing Leigha Brown powered the Huskers the rest of the way. Nebraska leaves Vegas 2-0, now 7-1 on the season, with a 72-49 win.
Whitish’s 15 points and five three-pointers were both season-highs, and they came in conjunction with four assists and three steals. Junior Taylor Kissinger added a season-high 11 points, as she continues to work her way back from a concussion that cost her the first five games (her minutes have steadily increased over the last three as well).
Junior center Kate Cain added eight points, seven rebounds, two blocks, two assists and a steal, while senior guard Nicea Eliely pitched in eight points, five boards, a season-high five assists, two steals and a block of her own.
Nebraska got contributions up and down the roster, as all 12 Huskers who played in the game scored, including freshman guard Makenzie Helms who scored the first two points of her career and added a pair of rebounds.
As a team, Nebraska hit 45.5% from the field, and 7-of-23 (30.4%) from beyond the arc. The Huskers outshot Sacred Heart at the free throw line (15-of-20), out-rebounded Sacred Heart on the boards (38-25) and won the turnover battle (20-16)
Defensively, the Huskers held their sixth opponent to fewer than 55 points in eight games to open the season. For the contest, Sacred Heart hit just 31.8% from the field and 25.9% from deep. The Pioneers second made shot from the floor didn’t come until the 4:30 mark of the second quarter.
Nebraska returns home after a successful tournament to play host to Duke in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Tip-off between the Huskers and Blue Devils at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 6 p.m. CT. Fans will be able to watch live on BTN, the first TV appearance for the Huskers this season.
