Second-half rally powers Nebraska to an 86-72 road win over Washington
The phrase “a tale of two halves” is one of the more overused cliches in sports. However, it couldn’t apply more to what transpired in Nebraska’s road game at Washington on Wednesday night.
After watching the Huskies knock down their first seven 3-pointers and jump out to a 13-point lead, the Huskers steadied the ship after halftime. With a 49-25 scoring advantage after the break, NU walked away with an 86-72 victory and its third consecutive win.
Brice Williams scored 13 of his 23 points in the second half, while Juwan Gary had 14 of his 17 points after the break to lead Nebraska’s comeback. The Huskers shot 55% in the second half, including hitting 6-of-9 3-pointers.
The story, though, came on the other end of the court. After Washington’s blistering start, which saw it make nine threes and shoot 53%, it shot 40% and went 1-of-9 from deep after halftime.
Mekhi Mason led UW with a career-high 23 points, but he managed just seven points while going 2-of-5 from the field over the final 20 minutes. Connor Essegian made four 3-pointers for 16 points off the bench, as NU held a 24-5 edge in bench scoring.
Nebraska will return to Lincoln on Sunday for a 1 p.m. showdown against Ohio State on Big Ten Network.
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Washington set the tone with a torrid shooting start
If you were to draw up the worst possible defensive start for Nebraska, the first 15 minutes or so in Seattle would have looked pretty close.
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The Huskies were unconscious from the opening tip, hitting their first seven 3-pointers and jumping out to a 28-15 lead after the opening eight minutes. Mason led the charge by cashing in three of those 3-pointers and making 6-of-7 shots for 14 of his 23 points on the night.
The Huskers tried to keep pace on the other end by shooting 50 percent from the field in the first half. That included connecting on 5-of-10 threes of their own and assisting on seven of their 13 made shots.
UW’s advantage went beyond its impressive shooting, too. It also owned a 20-11 rebounding advantage with a 6-1 edge in offensive boards. The Huskies also assisted on 12 of their 17 made field goals.
However, that was only enough to keep them within 47-37 at the break. Washington’s nine first-half 3-pointers were one shy of its season high, and its 47 points were its most at halftime this year.
Great Osobor had 10 points, six rebounds, and five assists at the half. However, the senior forward totaled just seven points, two boards, and zero assists in the second half. Williams led NU with 10 of his 23 points at intermission.
