The Nebraska women’s basketball team is easily having the better season of the two programs that fall under discussion when discussing Nebrasketball. However, injuries have put a damper on what seemed like a sure NCAA Tournament team.
When looking at last week’s games and trying to come up with a grade, it’s hard for the kneejerk reaction to not be “D” or “F.” After all, the Nebraska women’s basketball team went 0-2 this week against Maryland and Iowa.
However, a little context is needed. Certainly, the loss to the Terapins was discouraging. The Cornhuskers shot just 30 percent from the field and hit just 5-of-27 shots from beyond the arc. Even more frustrating – beyond the fact that Ohio State also shot 30 percent – is that the Huskers hit just 11-of-20 free throws.
Saturday’s game was frustrating in another way in that the Nebraska women’s basketball team got out to a big lead against 10th-ranked Iowa and then saw it evaporate in the second and third quarters. The Huskers actually put together a big run in the fourth quarter, outscoring Iowa 26-13 in the final period but losing 80-76.
Considering the Huskers lost to two Top 15 teams, it would seem a more accurate grade would be a B- or C for the week. There were too many chances for at least one win for it to be an A.
Nebraska Women’s Basketball Major Game
After a tough slate against ranked teams, the Huskers get a bit of a break this week with just one contest against a less-than-stellar opponent.
That doesn’t make the matchup against Michigan State any less critical. In fact, there’s an argument to be made that it’s more important since it’s a game the Cornhuskers need to win to continue to have any shot at an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The Spartans are also dealing with some recent struggles after starting out looking moderately strong. Michigan State is just 11-9 on the year and 3-6 in the Big Ten, but both of those records have been negatively impacted by a four-game losing streak. Those losses include an overtime title against Iowa and a nine-point defeat to Maryland.
It would appear that the Nebraska women’s basketball team is pretty evenly matched against the Spartans on Thursday and need to emerge victorious.