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Rosalie’s Reaction: Huskers blow out Minnesota 74 -50

By Rosalie Suggs

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Nebraska women’s basketball had to answer 2 questions last night. Can we run an effective offense without Rachel Theriot? And can our defense neutralize Minnesota’s Amanda Zahui B? The resounding answer – YES WE CAN!! The 4 Nebraska seniors – Cady, Laudermill, Jeffery and Sample wrapped the present and freshman Natalie Romeo tied the bow on top! Huskers 74-50 victory over Minnesota gave the Big Red win #20, and most certainly punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament.

The Husker senior class played major roles in the win over the Golden Gophers. This was their 95th win at Nebraska, claiming more wins than any other class in NU history. They combined to score 43 points while the defense led by Hailie Sample succeeded in shutting down Zahui B in the middle.

Mar 24, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Rachel Theriot (33) attempts a shot defended by BYU Cougars guard Kylie Maeda (15) in the second half of a women

Keep in mind, this is a TOUGH Gopher team. They’re aggressive and they battle on every possession. In the first meeting this season between these two squads, Minnesota over came a Husker 17-point first half lead to earn a 72-69 victory.

Huskers had no interest in seeing a rerun of that movie. At the tip, Nebraska grabbed the momentum and ran with it. They led on the scoreboard for most of the first half. The Gophers led for one instant but the Big Red offense just kept rolling.

The Huskers’ largest lead in the first half was 11 but the Gophers would answer back again and again. Neither team shot particularly well in the first half. With a lead of only 32-28 at halftime, NU knew only half the fight was over. It was going to take a total TEAM effort to get the “W”.

natalie romeo (photo credit 1011now.com)

5 minutes into the second half Nebraska went on a 20-2 run to lead the Gophers by 22 points, 52-30. Time for the 3-point exhibition to begin. Freshman guard Natalie Romeo led the charge with 9 points. Over the next 10 minutes, Romeo would land three more 3-pointers to tie her season-high record of 6.

Never the quitters, the Gopher effort seemed to wane down the stretch. They looked confused and frustrated. The Husker defense, which got tougher and more physical throughout the game, effectively neutralized the Gopher offensive output to just 22.6% shooting in the second half. As the time clock ticked away, Minnesota just could not overcome a 20+ point deficit. The dejected looks on their faces told the story. There would be no comeback for them at Pinnacle Bank Sports arena.

The 74-50 victory for Nebraska was a TOTAL team effort. Natalie Romeo lead the scoring with 21 points, tying her career-high. She was followed by Emily Cady with 17. Hailie Sample, added her seven points, seven rebounds and four assists. Brandi Jeffery scored nine points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Tear’a Laudermill added 10 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals. The Huskers dominated the glass, coming down with 49 rebounds.

In post game interviews with BTN, both coaches summed up the effort by their teams. Minnesota coach Marlene Stollings said a problem for Zahui and the rest of the Minnesota team was that they let the crowd and momentum of the game rattle them. “When things weren’t going well I think it affected us mentally,” Stollings said. “I don’t think we did a good job of staying poised in this effort.”

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Husker Coach Yori also said that the crowd was with the Huskers tonight and that they have an energy that’s hard to ignore. “The great thing about our crowd is that they make a difference in games,” Yori said. “This is not a ‘sit-on-your-hands’ type of crowd.” When asked about the win overall, Coach Yori added, “We looked like a team, on offense, that looked like we could play without Rachel,” Yori said. “I think this is the first game where we could say that.”

Nebraska wraps up the regular season on Sunday when the Huskers take on Ohio State at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Tip-off between the Big Red and the Buckeyes is set for 4 p.m.(CT) Nebraska will celebrate Senior Day following the game with Ohio State, honoring Emily Cady, Brandi Jeffery, Tear’a Laudermill and Hailie Sample. Stay tuned for further updates and as always, GO BIG RED!!