Nebraska buries Indiana with first-half flex, advances to Big Ten Tournament semis
Nebraska obliterated the sports adage that it’s difficult to defeat a team three times in one season.
Indiana was no match in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals Friday night, as Nebraska roared to a 93-66 triumph in the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis.
Nebraska (23-9), the tournament’s No. 3 seed, buried sixth-seeded Indiana (19-14) with two first-half surges, with sharp-shooter Keisei Tominaga playing a vital role in both cases. He scored five points to finish off an 11-0 run to give his team a 27-17 lead.
Then came the sonic boom.
Nebraska reeled off 17 straight points to end the first half, thanks in large part to Tominaga’s three three-pointers. The Huskers led 50-27 at the break as Tominaga was 4-for-6 from deep.
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He finished the game with 23 points on 9-for-13 field-goal shooting as Nebraska advanced to the Big Ten semifinals for the first time. Fred Hoiberg’s squad will face No. 2 seed Illinois (24-8) at 2:30 p.m. CST on CBS.
Nebraska snapped Indiana’s five-game winning streak, and did it with startling ease.
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Nebraska’s Brice Williams also shines brightly
Illinois surely took note of Nebraska’s first-half dominance, and it wasn’t all Tominaga. Brice Williams was 4-for-5 from three-point territory in the first half en route to 14 of his 23 points.
Indiana never got closer than 18 points in the second half.
Nebraska’s trademark tough defense was on full display as Indiana was only 8-for-32 from the field (25%) during the first half. The Hoosiers finished the game 5-for-20 from three-point territory (25%), while the Huskers were 14-for-32 from deep (43.8).
A hearty contingent of Nebraska fans at the Target Center roared their approval.
They’ll be in full throat Saturday.
