Nebraska Basketball: Huskers Get Throttled By Illinois

The Nebraska basketball team (12-16, 6-10) dropped its second straight game, falling to The Fighting Illini (17-12, 7-9) 73-57. They allowed Illinois to put on a three-point clinic in the process.

Second Half Collapses Kill Huskers Chances

Nebraska once again lets a manageable first half deficit turn into an avalanche they could never dig themselves out of. Trailing 30-28 at halftime, the Big Red would be outscored 43-29 in the second half.

Three-Point Shoot Around

The Illini would turn the game into a three-point contest to open up a big lead. Illinois went 13-of-26 from downtown. The Huskers’ invitation clearly got lost in the mail.

Turnovers Rear Their Ugly Head Once Again

In addition to giving up a plethora of threes, Nebraska turned the ball over a horrendous 18 times, an area where the Big Red has struggled all season.

The Positives

Some bright spots for the Huskers included their percentage from the line, going 11-of-13 (84.6 percent) from the stripe. Nebraska also controlled the boards surpassing Illinois in rebounds, 34 to 31.

Tai Webster was his usual double-figure-machine scoring 17 points, the only Husker to score in double figures. It wasn’t enough to beat red-hot Illinois, winners of four of their last five.

Hill’s a Thrill

The best player on the court was once again the Illini’s Malcolm Hill, who increased his streak of scoring in double figures to 23 straight games. Hill led the Illini in scoring with 19 points, all while going 54.5 percent from the field.

Illinois Owns Bragging Rights

The Fighting Illini now hold a dominant lead in the series, improving to 13-6 all-time against the Huskers. This team is playing its best basketball of the year. It’s held six of its last seven opponents to under 70 points, including Nebraska who was held under 60 points.