Nebraska gets blown over in 70-50 loss to Red Storm

For the first 20 minutes, Nebraska looked ready to grind out a 12-round rock fight and pull off a road upset over St. John’s.

But a seven-point halftime lead quickly turned into a 70-50 blowout loss, as the Huskers had no answers down the stretch on Thursday night.

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After sputtering on offense to start the game, the Red Storm (4-0) took over with a 28-6 run to open the second half. NU shot just 25.0% after the break while committing 11 of its season-high 17 turnovers compared to eight made field goals.

Nebraska (2-1) shot 29.7% for the night, 18.5% (5-of-27) from 3-point range, and 7-of-14 on free throws. St. John’s had 21 second-chance points on 21 offensive rebounds and held a 21-2 advantage in points off turnovers.

The Red Storm scored 18 of those 21 points off turnovers in the second half.

Offense came at a premium on both ends of the floor to start the game. The score was tied 6-6 at the under-12 media timeout, with the teams shooting a combined 5-of-27 from the field.

The scoring picked up eventually, as Nebraska used a 7-0 run to take a 22-12 lead and then went into halftime up 27-20.

Keisei Tominaga scored eight of his team-high 15 points and had two of the game’s three made 3-pointers in the first half. NU shot 32.4% from the field and 2-of-7 on free throws, but the Red Storm to just 22.9% shooting and 0-of-10 from behind the arc.

However, the momentum shifted entirely as soon as the second half began. Nebraska couldn’t make a shot and turned it over six times in the first six minutes. St. John’s caught fire and opened the half on a dominant 28-6 run.

The Red Storm would go up by as many as 25 before all was said and done, scoring 50 points on 52.5% shooting over the final 20 minutes.

Joel Soriano had a monster night, hauling 17 rebounds and 18 rebounds, along with three blocked shots to lead SJU. Juwan Gary scored eight with 11 boards for the Huskers, while Sam Griesel had six points, four rebounds, four assists, and eight turnovers.

Nebraska will be back in action on Sunday when it hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff for a 2:30 p.m. CT tip at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Nebraska fell into St. John’s trap

One of the main reasons Nebraska controlled the first half was it didn’t allow St. John’s to dictate the game with its full-court pressure defense.

The Huskers turned it over just six times and had seven assists on 10 made baskets en route to a seven-point lead at the break.

The second half was a completely different story in that regard. The Red Storm set the tone right out of the break and swarmed NU’s ball handlers from baseline to baseline.

When Nebraska got past halfcourt, it fell into SJU’s trap far too often. Guards would drive into a crowded lane, get walled off in the paint, and pick up their dribble. Desperate passes resulted in turnovers, which changed the entire complexion of the game.

Unsurprisingly, NU struggled against the most challenging press it has seen this season. Griesel had his work cut out for him as the primary ball handler and committed five of his game-high eight turnovers in the second half.

“It’s what they do,” Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg told the Huskers Radio Network. “Their pressure, we just had no answer for it.”

Derrick Walker’s absence is glaring

Derrick Walker’s absence was more glaring than ever against easily the most physical frontcourt it has seen yet.

Walker, who has been out since the Colorado exhibition due to “healthcare reasons,” did not travel to New York City. Hoiberg said before the game that the senior’s back had “locked up on him” in practice.

With their top post scorer and leader in Lincoln, the Huskers had no answer for the 6-foot-11, 260-pound Soriano. 

Blaise Keita started again and went scoreless with five rebounds, three fouls, and a turnover in 11 minutes. Wilhelm Breidenbach played 21 minutes off the bench and had two points on 1-of-8 shooting with three boards.

Hoiberg said after the game that he hoped Walker would be back “soon.” But he gave no indication when Walker might return.

“We need another playmaker,” Hoiberg said. “It just shows you how important Derrick is with our scheme and everything that we do. Hopefully, we’ll get him back sometime soon.”

Keisei Tominaga was the only bright spot

For the second time in three games, Tominaga came off the bench and provided Nebraska with some desperately needed offense.

The junior guard was NU’s lone scorer in double figures. He also shot 5-of-8 from the field and 3-for-6 on 3-pointers. He accounted for three of the Huskers’ five made threes on the night.

Nebraska’s offense was awful for most of the game. But Tominaga’s eight points and two made 3-pointers were a big part in jumping out to a 10-point first-half lead.

The Huskers need all the help they can get offensively right now. At least Tominaga has proven capable of putting the ball through the basket at a relatively consistent rate.

“The only one who got into any kind of rhythm was Keisei on the offensive end,” Hoiberg said.

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They said it

“The makeup of this team is they’re going to bounce back tomorrow… We need to bounce back an regroup. But in the first half, there were so many positives just with how we threw the first punch and kept going and kept battling even when our shots weren’t falling. Then the second half – we’ve got a lot to learn in order to play 40 minutes and a complete game.”

Head coach Fred Hoiberg on how he expects Nebraska will respond following its blowout loss at St. John’s.