Nebraska took care of business early on the road against Iowa Sunday, with a 92-74 win in a game that was over before halftime.
The Huskers (16-6, 7-2 Big Ten) wasted no time in dispatching the Hawkeyes (16-6, 4-5 Big Ten) for their fourth consecutive win, building a 30-point lead after just 20 minutes. In doing so, head coach Amy Williams’ squad remained unbeaten in true road games this season, 8-0, thanks to its best offensive performance of the year. The 92 points were a season-high and the first time the Huskers have cracked 90 points in a game since Jan. 24, 2016, against Michigan on the road.
Nebraska shot 56 percent from the field, 36 percent from three and saw nine players score in the first half. When the first buzzer sounded, the Huskers had more points on the scoreboard, 56, than they’ve ever had after the first half against a conference opponent. Ever. It was more than they scored in six full games last season.
And they did it in what seemed like a flash. The Hawkeyes took an 11-7 lead with 5:43 left to play in the first quarter on a 3-ball from guard Kathleen Doyle. Over the course of the next 7:25 of play, Nebraska ripped off a 25-1 run to open up a 32-12 lead.
The two teams went back and forth midway through the second quarter but the Huskers seized control again over the final 3:29 and put together another 15-2 run. They led 56-26 at the break.
Iowa was better in the second half — 36 percent from the field in the first, 46 percent in the second — but the damage had already been done. Nebraska posted a 49/35/86 shooting split while hitting seven triples and 25 free throws. Forward Maddie Simon led the way offensively with 19 points and eight boards, guard Hanna Whitish supplied 16 points and six assists and guard Janay Morton added 13 off the bench.
Williams again showed off the depth this Husker team employs, going 12 deep and seeing her bench respond with a 31-13 scoring advantage over the Hawkeyes. In the last two contests, Nebraska’s bench has outscored Purdue and Iowa’s by a combined 59-15.
The win marked the seventh in the last eight outings for Nebraska. Even though the Huskers are now tied in the win column with Maryland and Michigan atop the Big Ten, they’re still sitting at third in the conference. A 69-64 overtime loss to Michigan on Jan. 13 means the Wolverines — also 7-2 in conference play — own any tiebreaker, but Nebraska still has two matchups with conference-leading Maryland (7-1 in conference play) left on the docket.
Nebraska is back in action next Thursday when it hosts Illinois at 7 p.m. CT inside Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Derek is a newbie on the Hail Varsity staff covering Husker athletics. In college, he was best known as ‘that guy from Twitter.’ He has covered a Sugar Bowl, a tennis national championship and almost everything in between (except an NCAA men’s basketball tournament game… *tears*). In his spare time, he can be found arguing with literally anyone about sports.
