Huskers Clipped by Cards in NCAA First Round
Huskers.com
Fort Worth, Texas - No. 10 seed Nebraska led 56-52 with four minutes left, but seventh-seeded Louisville made the plays in the final minute to escape with a 63-58 win over the Huskers in the first round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Schollmaier Arena on Friday evening.
Four-time All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski led the Huskers with 12 points and 10 rebounds for her 13th double-double of the season and school-record 53rd of her career. Big Ten All-Freshman point guard Britt Prince added 14 points, three rebounds and six assists, while fellow freshman Amiah Hargrove gave the Big Red a huge lift off the bench with 10 points and nine rebounds against the Cardinals. Logan Nissley added nine points on a trio of three-pointers in a strong effort.
Nebraska finished with a 21-12 overall record to complete the 20th 20-win season in Husker history. The Big Red also advanced to their third NCAA Tournament in the past four seasons with seniors Markowski, Kendall Coley and Kendall Moriarty along with redshirt junior Allison Weidner.
Louisville improved to 22-10 on the season and advanced to take on No. 2 seed TCU on Sunday in the NCAA Second Round. Tajianna Roberts led three Cardinals in double figures with 16 points, while Olivia Cochran added 14 points and Jayda Curry contributed 13 points and six assists.
For the game, Nebraska hit 44.2 percent (23-52) of its shots from the floor, including 8-of-20 threes (.400). NU held Louisville to just 37.3 percent (25-67), including just 4-of-19 threes (.211), but the Cardinals controlled the possession game, with a 24-13 edge in turnovers and a 39-35 rebound margin. Louisville outscored the Huskers 27-5 in points off turnovers.
Despite Louisville's 67-52 edge in field goal attempts and 15-8 margin in free throw attempts, the Huskers fought to the final seconds against the perennial power Cardinals.
Louisville took a 36-32 lead to halftime thanks to a 9-0 run to end the second quarter. The Huskers led for most of the half, including a 32-27 lead with 2:42 left in the second period before Roberts sparked the Cardinal run with six points. Roberts scored all 12 of her first-half points in the second quarter to help Louisville outscore the Huskers, 22-16 in the period.
Markowski led Nebraska with nine points and four rebounds in the half, while Prince pitched in seven points and three assists. Nissley added six points on a pair of second-quarter threes, while contributing three assists and a steal. Jessica Petrie and Hargrove both put up four first-half points, while Hargrove added five rebounds in the half.
As a team, Nebraska hit 14-of-30 shots (.467) in the half, including 4-of-12 threes. The Huskers held Louisville to 38.5 percent (15-39) shooting in the half, including 3-of-11 threes (.273), but the Cardinals won the first-half turnover battle 11-5, and converted Nebraska's turnovers to 17 points. Louisville also out-rebounded the Big Red, 22-19, in the opening half.
Cochran, who scored six of Louisville's first eight points in the game, added eight first-half points, while Ja'Leah Williams contributed five points and five rebounds for the Cardinals.
Louisville continued the 9-0 run to end the first half into the third quarter by scoring on the opening possession to take a 38-32 lead. Both teams went scoreless the next four minutes, before the Cardinals added a free throw to take the game's first three-possession lead at 39-32 with 5:48 left in the quarter.
Nebraska finally ended a 7:35 scoreless drought with a Hargrove free throw to stop a 12-0 run. However, a Curry three for the Cards extended the game's biggest lead to 42-33 with 4:45 left in the period.
Markowski, Prince and Hargrove answered with an 8-2 surge over the next three minutes to trim the margin to 44-41 with 1:44 left in the period. Louisville closed out the quarter strong to take a 50-44 lead to the fourth.
Nebraska then hit the Cardinals with its biggest outburst of the game, erupting on a 10-0 run in a 3:37 span to take a 54-50 lead with 6:33 left. Nissley started the spurt with a three-pointer before Alberte Rimdal capped it with a three in the corner in front of the Husker bench off a cross-court assist from Markowski.
Rimdal kept the Big Red in front at 56-52 with a strong drive and finish with 3:26 left, before Curry and Cochran combined for six straight points to give the Cardinals a 58-56 lead with 1:16 left.
Prince answered for the Huskers with a driving layup to tie the game at 58 with 59 seconds left.
Cochran finished the following possession for Louisville by hitting the second of two free throw to put the Cards in front 59-58 with 30.4 seconds left. Nebraska then got a drive from Prince with 25 seconds left, but Prince was called for an offensive foul to foul out of the game.
Nebraska was forced to foul and Curry hit both free throws to push the margin to 61-58. The Huskers ran a sideline inbounds for a wide open Nissley three-point attempt with 13 seconds left, but the shot rimmed out, Louisville got the rebound and the Huskers were forced to foul again. Cochran made a free throw to push the lead back to two possessions and seal the victory.
Huskers.com
Fort Worth, Texas - No. 10 seed Nebraska led 56-52 with four minutes left, but seventh-seeded Louisville made the plays in the final minute to escape with a 63-58 win over the Huskers in the first round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Schollmaier Arena on Friday evening.
Four-time All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski led the Huskers with 12 points and 10 rebounds for her 13th double-double of the season and school-record 53rd of her career. Big Ten All-Freshman point guard Britt Prince added 14 points, three rebounds and six assists, while fellow freshman Amiah Hargrove gave the Big Red a huge lift off the bench with 10 points and nine rebounds against the Cardinals. Logan Nissley added nine points on a trio of three-pointers in a strong effort.
Nebraska finished with a 21-12 overall record to complete the 20th 20-win season in Husker history. The Big Red also advanced to their third NCAA Tournament in the past four seasons with seniors Markowski, Kendall Coley and Kendall Moriarty along with redshirt junior Allison Weidner.
Louisville improved to 22-10 on the season and advanced to take on No. 2 seed TCU on Sunday in the NCAA Second Round. Tajianna Roberts led three Cardinals in double figures with 16 points, while Olivia Cochran added 14 points and Jayda Curry contributed 13 points and six assists.
For the game, Nebraska hit 44.2 percent (23-52) of its shots from the floor, including 8-of-20 threes (.400). NU held Louisville to just 37.3 percent (25-67), including just 4-of-19 threes (.211), but the Cardinals controlled the possession game, with a 24-13 edge in turnovers and a 39-35 rebound margin. Louisville outscored the Huskers 27-5 in points off turnovers.
Despite Louisville's 67-52 edge in field goal attempts and 15-8 margin in free throw attempts, the Huskers fought to the final seconds against the perennial power Cardinals.
Louisville took a 36-32 lead to halftime thanks to a 9-0 run to end the second quarter. The Huskers led for most of the half, including a 32-27 lead with 2:42 left in the second period before Roberts sparked the Cardinal run with six points. Roberts scored all 12 of her first-half points in the second quarter to help Louisville outscore the Huskers, 22-16 in the period.
Markowski led Nebraska with nine points and four rebounds in the half, while Prince pitched in seven points and three assists. Nissley added six points on a pair of second-quarter threes, while contributing three assists and a steal. Jessica Petrie and Hargrove both put up four first-half points, while Hargrove added five rebounds in the half.
As a team, Nebraska hit 14-of-30 shots (.467) in the half, including 4-of-12 threes. The Huskers held Louisville to 38.5 percent (15-39) shooting in the half, including 3-of-11 threes (.273), but the Cardinals won the first-half turnover battle 11-5, and converted Nebraska's turnovers to 17 points. Louisville also out-rebounded the Big Red, 22-19, in the opening half.
Cochran, who scored six of Louisville's first eight points in the game, added eight first-half points, while Ja'Leah Williams contributed five points and five rebounds for the Cardinals.
Louisville continued the 9-0 run to end the first half into the third quarter by scoring on the opening possession to take a 38-32 lead. Both teams went scoreless the next four minutes, before the Cardinals added a free throw to take the game's first three-possession lead at 39-32 with 5:48 left in the quarter.
Nebraska finally ended a 7:35 scoreless drought with a Hargrove free throw to stop a 12-0 run. However, a Curry three for the Cards extended the game's biggest lead to 42-33 with 4:45 left in the period.
Markowski, Prince and Hargrove answered with an 8-2 surge over the next three minutes to trim the margin to 44-41 with 1:44 left in the period. Louisville closed out the quarter strong to take a 50-44 lead to the fourth.
Nebraska then hit the Cardinals with its biggest outburst of the game, erupting on a 10-0 run in a 3:37 span to take a 54-50 lead with 6:33 left. Nissley started the spurt with a three-pointer before Alberte Rimdal capped it with a three in the corner in front of the Husker bench off a cross-court assist from Markowski.
Rimdal kept the Big Red in front at 56-52 with a strong drive and finish with 3:26 left, before Curry and Cochran combined for six straight points to give the Cardinals a 58-56 lead with 1:16 left.
Prince answered for the Huskers with a driving layup to tie the game at 58 with 59 seconds left.
Cochran finished the following possession for Louisville by hitting the second of two free throw to put the Cards in front 59-58 with 30.4 seconds left. Nebraska then got a drive from Prince with 25 seconds left, but Prince was called for an offensive foul to foul out of the game.
Nebraska was forced to foul and Curry hit both free throws to push the margin to 61-58. The Huskers ran a sideline inbounds for a wide open Nissley three-point attempt with 13 seconds left, but the shot rimmed out, Louisville got the rebound and the Huskers were forced to foul again. Cochran made a free throw to push the lead back to two possessions and seal the victory.
