Nebraska Basketball: Team plays hard in tough game against Rutgers

PISCATAWAY, NJ - JANUARY 25: Dachon Burke Jr. #11 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers in action against Montez Mathis #23 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during a college basketball game at Rutgers Athletic Center on January 25, 2020 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ - JANUARY 25: Dachon Burke Jr. #11 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers in action against Montez Mathis #23 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during a college basketball game at Rutgers Athletic Center on January 25, 2020 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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I was pleased with the effort from Nebraska Basketball Saturday.

There is this line of thinking around the Big Ten that suggests Rutgers is a tough place to play.  Nebraska basketball found that out the hard way, losing on a last-second three-pointer by Geo Baker. As a result, Nebraska suffered a 75-72 defeat on Saturday.

Like it has been many times this season, this game was a tale of two halves. In the first half, Nebraska basketball looked sluggish. They began to wake up in the second half, and actually went on a 12-2 run at one point. They began to shoot the basketball with confidence, and it showed. In the second half, they went six-of-13 from beyond the arc. They struggled a bit at the free throw line in the half, going five-of-nine. Even still, they managed to keep the game close.

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I know everybody is tired of Nebraska basketball losing. The thought of moral victories is not really applicable here. However, Nebraska played hard throughout the entire course of the game  and they played at their pace. Cam Mack was absolutely on fire in this game, and he kept Nebraska in it. I’ll have a little more him later. In any event, Nebraska basketball fought hard to the finish against a very good Rutgers team. One has to wonder how the game would have gone with a healthy Baker.

I liked the fight I saw in this team. I also liked the spirit I saw in this team. Especially after a tough game against Wisconsin the other night, they fought extremely hard. The play of Jervay Green, Mack, and Dachon Burke was noticeable. They impacted the game in a big way. The only thing that was unfortunate for them today was that Rutgers did a nice job of defending the lane. Once they realized that Nebraska was going to try and make a living in the lane, they sent another defender over to make a play. A tip of the cap goes to the Rutgers coaching staff.

In any event, there were some good things to be seen on Saturday. There were some not-so-good things. Nevertheless, Nebraska basketball had a nice balance-back performance after the drubbing against Wisconsin. They needed to have a game like this, and the only thing that would’ve been better is a win. We’ll get there. Right now, I am just enjoying watching the games and seeing these guys compete game after game. Right now, it’s all about enjoying the ride.