Nebraska Women’s Basketball Triumphs Over Illinois
In a tightly contested matchup, the 24th ranked Nebraska women’s basketball team emerged victorious over Illinois with an 81-75 scoreline on Saturday in Lincoln, Nebraska. Key performances included Britt Prince, who led the Cornhuskers with 20 points, while teammates Logan Nissley and Jessica Petrie made significant contributions with 15 points each. Off the bench, Petra Bozan added another 11 points, helping Nebraska to an impressive shooting percentage of 49%, converting 27 out of 55 attempts from the field.
Illinois’ Strong Performance
On the other side, Illinois put up a commendable effort with Cearah Parchment leading their scoring with 25 points. Berry Wallace contributed 22 points, while Destiny Jackson and Madison Webber added 13 and 11 points respectively.
Game Highlights
The Cornhuskers started strong, taking an early lead with a 3-pointer from Amiah Hargrove that put them ahead 9-7, igniting a 10-0 run that set the tone for the game. They finished the first quarter leading 19-11 and extended their advantage to 41-23 by halftime.
Nebraska’s largest lead came shortly after the second half began when Prince hit a jumper, bringing the score to 43-24. Despite this, Illinois fought back, narrowing the gap to 56-44 by the end of the third quarter. In the final moments of the game, Jackson’s free throws brought Illinois within six points, 71-65, with 1:45 remaining, but the Cornhuskers managed to hold on for the win.
Post-Game Analysis
The victory enhances Nebraska’s record to 15-5 overall and 4-5 in the Big Ten, while Illinois remains at 15-5 but improves to 5-4 in conference play. Notably, Nebraska extended its lead in their all-time series with Illinois to 22-8, maintaining a dominant 10-2 record at home.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, Illinois will face a challenging game against third-ranked UCLA on Wednesday, while Nebraska is set to host Northwestern on the same day.
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