Nebraska Basketball looks to take on Rutgers on the road.
Nebraska basketball is set to take on Rutgers as they look to redeem themselves from a difficult loss against Michigan State on Thursday. In a game that could be considered one of the “bounce back” variety, the Cornhuskers looked to right the ship again and gain some momentum heading into the rest of conference play.
In their last contest, Nebraska basketball lost to Michigan State by a 70-64 score in a game that was not as close as the score indicates. James Palmer led the way with 21 points for Nebraska but he was not very efficient. He went 6-of-21 from the field and 1-for-6 from behind the arc. If there was one positive about his performance, it was that he was perfect from the free-throw line, making all 11 attempts.
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Issac Copeland did his part as well. He scored 13 points. He went 5-for-12 from the field and shot a dismal 1-for-5 from behind the three point line. Missed shots were a theme for Nebraska basketball as they just could not seem to find the bottom of the net. That would hurt them tremendously as they dropped to 3-4 in Big Ten conference play.
In the meantime, Rutgers lost by a 65-57 score, extending their small losing streak to three games. In defeat, the duo of freshman guard Montez Mathis and sophomore guard Geo Baker provided the majority of the scoring. Mathis scored 16 while Baker chipped in 12. Mathis got a portion of his points from the free throw line as he went 6-of-10. In addition, he went 5-of -10 from the field and also recorded four rebounds. Baker was effective from the line as well as he went 3-of-5 from the stripe. He was cold from other areas on the court, going 4-of 14 from the field and 1-5 from the line.
Junior forward Eugene Omoruyi leads the Scarlet Knights in points with 14.6. Together, Omoruyi and Baker, who has tallied 12.9 points of his own, provide a tremendous scoring presence. Omoruyi also doubles as an effective rebounder. He leads the team with 7.5 rebounds per game. Nebraska basketball will have to be mindful of his dual-threat capabilities. This is a team that has struggled with rebounding, particularly in conference play.
In the Kenpom rankings, Nebraska basketball sits at No. 12, while Rutgers checks in at No. 128. This game may not be close in terms of the rankings, but it is a must win for both parties.
Game Info
Game 18: Nebraska at Iowa
When: 8:00 PM EST, Piscataway, NJ
Where: Rutgers Athletic Center
TV: BTN
Stream: BTN 2 Go
Radio: Huskers IMG Radio
Key to the Game
Nebraska Basketball needs to make sure they do a good job on the offensive glass. Rutgers is first in terms of offensive rebounds on the season. In 17 games, Rutgers has recorded 224 so far in the 2018 campaign. That averages out to 13.2 per game. Nebraska basketball did a solid job on the offensive glass in the game against Michigan State, as they recorded 16 of their own. They need to continue putting forth that effort if they want to win on Monday.