Lincoln ? While Nebraska’s offense provided most of the excitement in Friday’s opener, the Husker defense stole the show in a 75-61 win over Princeton Sunday afternoon in front of a crowd of 2,008 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
The Huskers, who improved to 2-0 on the season, held the Tigers to only two field goals over the final 10:44 of the first half, turning a 20-all tie into a 42-26 halftime lead before cruising to their second win of the weekend.
While Nebraska scored 104 points in Friday’s win over Wofford, NU used a stingy defensive effort to hold Princeton to just 35 percent shooting from the floor and force 19 Tiger miscues.
Although Nebraska picked up its second win of the year, the Huskers know they need to play better as they hit the road for their next three games, according to Coach Connie Yori
"We did not feel like we were the team that set the tone today," Yori said. "Princeton did a nice job, and I felt like they played harder than us today. We need to play harder. We need to be a better defensive team, and we need to rebound better. The bottom line is that we need to get better."
Alexa Johnson led three Huskers in double figures, scoring 15 points and sparked Nebraska’s decisive 13-0 first half run. With the score tied at 20, Johnson, who scored 11 first-half points, sparked a 13-0 Husker spurt over the next 6:10, hitting a driving jumper and adding a three-point play, before a Kiera Hardy jumper, two Margaret Richards’ free throws and a pair of baskets by Keasha Cannon-Johnson pushed the lead to 13 points at 33-20.
The Huskers, who turned seven Princeton turnovers into 14 points in the first stanza, continued to add to the margin, as Katie Morse nailed a three-pointer with six seconds remaining in the half, sending NU to the locker room with a 16-point advantage.
"It all starts with pressure," Hardy said "The more you pressure, the more you disrupt their offense. Pressure on their guards gets you turnovers and easy baskets."
Hardy, a freshman from Kansas City, Mo., came off the bench to score 12 points, grab six rebounds and make three steals, while Richards chipped in 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the win.
While three players reached double figures, the Huskers enjoyed a balanced attack, as Morse finished with nine points and six rebounds and Cannon-Johnson narrowly missed a double-double with eight points and nine boards while dishing out three assists.
Nebraska enjoyed a comfortable lead throughout the second half, extending the lead to as many as 23 points on Andrea Lightfoot’s jumper with 8:45 remaining. The Tigers, who hit 7-of-11 from beyond three-point range, stayed within range before eventually closing to within 73-61 on Katy Digovich’s three-pointer with 1:42 left, but could not slice the final margin into single figures.
Casey Lockwood led the Tigers with 20 points and six rebounds, while Katy O’Brien and Digovich also finished in double figures with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
The Huskers travel to Memphis, Tenn., next weekend to compete in the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic, taking on Mississippi on Friday, Nov. 28, at 8 p.m. The Huskers next home contest is Dec. 6, when they play host to Texas-Arlington at 7:05 p.m.