Can Nebraska basketball start a winning streak against the Wildcats?
Who is ready for some Saturday night hoops? I certainly am, and it should be a great contest between Nebraska basketball and the Northwestern Wildcats. Both teams come into Saturday night’s contest with their previous games decided by slim margins. Now, both teams look to give it their all in front of what should be a raucous Pinnacle Bank Arena crowd.
After what seemed like forever, Nebraska basketball snapped a seven-game losing streak with a win over Minnesota on Wednesday. It seemed as though everybody had a hand in the victory, which was great to see.
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Issac Copeland led all scorers with 17 points on the evening. Isaiah Roby did his part as well, scoring 15 points, going five-of-13 from the field and seven-of-eight from the free-throw line. James Palmer tallied 11 points while Glynn Watson recorded 14 in what was a much-needed scoring outburst from him. He went five-of-six from the free-throw line and that played a huge part in Nebraska basketball’s victory.
In Northwestern’s last game which took place on Wednesday, the Wildcats lost to Rutgers by a slim 59-56 margin. Vic Law had 17 points and also chipped in four assists. Junior forward A.J. Turner chipped in 11 points off the bench and provided some great secondary scoring for the Wildcats. Sophomore guard Anthony Gaines performed well on the glass. He recorded five rebounds to lead the team.
Northwestern has a couple of scorers at their disposal. Law is the team’s top scorer. He averages 15.5 points per contest and has truly been a spark for them. Another player to watch is senior center Dererk Pardon. He is second on the team scoring 13.7 points per contest and is the top rebounder as he has grabbed 7.6 rebounds per game on the season. He is a double threat, and Nebraska basketball should be mindful of him.
In the Kenpom rankings, Nebraska basketball sits at No. 33 while Northwestern checks in at No. 69. This is a game that Nebraska basketball should have an advantage in, but in a conference as competitive as the Big Ten, anybody can win on any given night.
Game Info
Game 27: Nebraska vs Northwestern
When: 7:30 PM CST
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln Nebraska
TV: BTN
Stream: BTN 2 Go
Radio: Huskers IMG Radio
Key to the Game
The biggest key for Nebraska basketball on Saturday will be getting open looks and making the three-point shot. Northwestern is tops in the conference in three-point field goal defense. In 24 games, they have held opponents to a. 297 field goal percentage. For a team that relies so heavily on the three-point shot like Nebraska does, that will certainly present a challenge. They need to make sure they set solid screens and get good looks for their main shooters in James Palmer and Glynn Watson. Particularly with the game Watson had the other day, it would be wise to get him the basketball and see if he could replicate that performance. It should be another fun one at Pinnacle.