Nebraska basketball could have used this win as a positive benchmark on their season. Instead, Purdue pulled away and never looked back.
Going on the road against 15th-ranked Purdue is not the best way to stop a losing streak. Nevertheless, Nebraska had to take on the challenge Saturday night. Although they lost, they put together a great effort, one that has not been seen in a while. In what was a competitive first half, Nebraska kept the game close. Truthfully, it was a lot closer than I thought it was going to be. Nebraska seemed to tune out the raucous crowd and hold their own against a tough Boilermaker squad. They came out of the gates with energy and intensity, something that has been missing over the last couple of games.
As great teams do, Purdue managed to overcome their slow start in the second half. They pulled away from Nebraska and came away with another victory. For a team looking to go deep into postseason play in March, a victory over Nebraska basketball is exactly what Purdue needed. Oftentimes, there can be trap games at this time in the year. Purdue made sure that they took care of business and they certainly did, sending the home fans happy.
Before Nebraska basketball takes on Minnesota, we take a look at our three big takeaways from the loss to Purdue.