Nebraska Cornhuskers

[azfan]

29-23 Huskers at the half in East Lansing. Amy Williams has to be pleased and Suzy Merchant must be tearing her hair out

Michigan State has great energy and seems to have gotten every 50-50 ball in the first half. In addition they have outrebounded Nebraska on the offensive boards. Without looking at the scoreboard watching the game one would have thought that the Spartans would be defending their home court and have a double-digit lead at the half.

The turnovers have absolutely killed the Spartans. It's really interesting to watch their offensive flow or lack thereof.

On the Husker side of the ball Sam Haiby is having a career game. Her 15 points on 6 for 6 shooting reflect her ability to get to the rim and hit threes.

Cain has overcome her defensive weaknesses to both score and rebound. Toward the end of the first half her counterpart - Joiner -backed her down in the lane and with a spin move left Cai stand in for an easy two. Having said that when Kane stays within her game she does positively impact the game by clogging the paint. However once they're in the lane she has a lot of difficulty staying with a driver. One of the announcers in the game pointed out that Cain seems to be making almost every rebound flat-footed LOL.

The second half should be very interested. For the Huskers Leighton Brown has had a really off shooting game. If she heats up the Huskers may be okay. if the Spartans can manage to reduce or eliminate turnovers leading to major points for the Huskers they might well be able to come back to win.

We'll see

 

[triaddukefan]

Im rooting for the Huskers to do well in the Big10

 

[Plebe]

Im rooting for the Huskers to do well in the Big10

Just because they beat Duke?

 

[triaddukefan]

Just because they beat Duke?

exactly....

 

[Plebe]

exactly....

You must be busy trying to keep track of all the teams you're rooting for

In all seriousness, Duke hasn't lost to any bad teams, they just haven't really beaten any either.

 

[azfan]

Spartans in Overtime.

Very entertaining game down to the wire. Horrific free throw shooting by both teams. Ozment did hit the ones that counted in regulation. The Spartans inside the 3-point line were COLD.

The Spartans really have to wonder. I thought that they had more energy and intensity throughout the game than the Huskers. They killed the Cornhuskers on the offensive boards. In fact you've got a wonder when you collect 22 offensive boards in regulation how the game goes to overtime.

The first minute of overtime seemed to me to be a comedy of errors. I know the players are tired. But the inability to hit free throws by Haiby and the turn over after the miss were really remarkable.

A real hard-fought game. This represents what the Big Ten is like particularly with these mid-tier teams.

Congrats to the Spartans for a really big home court victory.

 

[azfan]

The Huskers return home to host Minnesota tomorrow afternoon. They've got to be disappointed after the loss in East Lansing.

Although I thought Michigan State demonstrated more intensity and energy and killed the Huskers on the boards Amy William's squad was in a position to steal one. It's got to be demoralizing to be ahead at half and drop this game in OT.

Concerns for the Huskers have to be the lack of rebounding against the Spartans. Also giving up over 50 points in the second half and OT has got to have Amy Williams scratching her head. I thought the difference in the game was Leighton Brown's cold shooting. When she's on she opens up the offense for the Huskers with her ability to hit the three ball.

The Minnesota game is going to be an outstanding one and really a must win for both teams early in the conference season.

Hope we get a poll on this one I'd like to see what the BY thinks the outcome will be.

 

[azfan]

Brown's 20 points (high volume, low efficiency) off the bench lead the Huskers to a come-from-behind road win at Wisconsin. Relatively big game for the Huskers as they try to build a resume for the big dance. I know a consensus exists that the Big Ten will get 9 or 10 teams in. Even if that's the case Nebraska needs to accumulate one or two more road victories in the tough Big Ten.

Huskers face Gophers on the road, Buckeyes at home before closing stretch that included conference co-leaders and Indiana twice.

If one looks at Massey rankings for visibility Nebraska is currently 33rd. Wisconsin was 98 so a loss even on the road to them would have not been very helpful.

Both Minnesota and Ohio State are ranked below the Huskers in Massey so a loss to either, even the Buckeyes on the road certainly is not going to help the Husker resume.

I think they need to split the ranked games the rest of the way in to make the tournament. 3 of 4 are on the road.

I don't see an 18 game winning Husker team in the dance, regardless of Massey.

That said, Huskers control their destiny, and they face Minnesota Thursday without control of destiny.

BTW...the Pac-12 is widening its first place lead over the Big Ten in the overall Massey rankings for whatever that's worth.

 

[azfan]

Update on Taylor Kissinger.

I admire her perseverance. Large contrast between Kissinger's reaction to real adversity and the reaction by Destiny Pitts to her "adversity"

"Post-surgery pain is different from the pain you feel before. Lower-body injuries can get an athlete down. Repeated injuries can take their toll. It’s not uncommon to see someone in Kissinger’s situation want to start fresh somewhere else. Asked if, at any point in her playing career, she’s thought she might just need to get away, Kissinger was emphatic.

“No."

Taylor is the type of person and player that Geno would recruit. Destiny Pitts is not. To my way of thinking character as a criteria for selecting a team is as important as talent.

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[azfan]

Huskers putting it all together against the Illini at home. Possibly one of the best shooting halves of the season. Leigha Brown 17 on 4 for 5 from the three-point line.