Lincoln - Nebraska used a tenacious defense and patient offense to knock off No. 13 Ohio State, 60-55, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Friday night.
With the win, the Huskers improved to 6-1 on the year and improved to 4-0 at home on the season, while Ohio State slipped to 4-1 on the season in its first road game of the year.
Senior forward Alexa Johnson led the Huskers with 14 points and six rebounds, while freshman guard Kiera Hardy sparked Nebraska off the bench with 10 points, three rebounds and a pair of steals. Senior guard Keasha Cannon-Johnson added a stellar all-around game with a game-high 11 rebounds, while tying a career-high with nine assists. She also contributed six points in the victory.
Cannon-Johnson’s work on the glass helped Nebraska produce a 42-32 rebounding margin, while holding the Buckeyes to just seven offensive rebounds on the night.
Second-year Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said rebounding and defense were the keys to the victory.
"It was a great win for our program tonight, and our kids really played hard," Yori said. "The plus-10 rebound margin for the game was huge, and we played good, solid defense. We also committed just four turnovers in the second half, which gave us a chance to win."
Trailing 55-54 with 2:32 left in the game, Nebraska shut out the high-scoring Buckeyes the rest of the way to finish the game with a 6-0 run. Cannon-Johnson gave Nebraska the lead with her third three-pointer of the season and her only field goal of the night with 2:07 remaining to give NU a 57-55 edge. Senior center Katie Morse, who finished with six points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots, hit one of two free throws to push the lead to 58-55 with 1:20 left, before Johnson sealed the win on her jumper with 25 seconds remaining.
Ohio State, which entered the game averaging 80 points per game as the nation’s top shooting team by connecting on 55.7 percent of its field goals, including 52.9 percent accuracy from three-point range, was held to just 42.9 percent (24-56) shooting by the Huskers, including a dismal 22.2 percent (2-9) from three-point range. The Buckeyes’ two three-pointers were a season low for a squad that was averaging 9.5 made three-pointers per game entering the contest.
Senior guard Caity Matter, who was the top three-point shooter in the nation with 106 three-pointers last season and entered the contest with 21 three-pointers in just four games this season, connected on just 2-of-4 three-pointers against the Huskers. Matter still managed 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, which was seven points below her season average.
"They played aggressive all night," Matter said. "They were aggressive fighting through our screens, and they were out in our faces all night and played great defense. Nebraska deserves a lot of credit."
While Matter led the Buckeyes outside, senior forward LaToya Turner kept Ohio State close by scoring 16 points and grabbing three rebounds inside. Freshman center Jessica Davenport added 10 points and six boards, but hit just 5-of-15 shots from the field thanks to a strong defensive effort from Morse.
While the Huskers shut down the Buckeyes from long range and limited Ohio State’s second chances, Nebraska was firing on all cylinders from beyond the arc. The Huskers tied a school record by connecting on 10 three-pointers, including a trio of trifectas from Hardy and two each from Johnson and point guard Jina Johansen. Six Huskers hit three-pointers against Ohio State’s zone defense in a 10-for-27 (37 percent) shooting night from long range.
Nebraska managed just 36.1 percent (22-61) shooting overall from the field, and connected on just 6-of-10 free throws, but the Huskers’ 15 offensive rebounds and outstanding work on the defensive glass proved to be enough for the victory.
Hardy, who scored in double figures for the third time in her four games this season, said Nebraska’s intensity was the key to the win.
"We stayed focused with our game plan and kept everything in tune with what we were going to do," Hardy said. "I think it’s a great win for me as a young player because it shows everybody in the nation that Nebraska is coming to play."
Ohio State Coach Jim Foster echoed Hardy’s sentiments about the Huskers’ intensity.
"They played hard," Foster said. "They stuck to their game plan and they are well-coached. They played with great intensity tonight and that was the difference."
In a tight game for the full 40 minutes, the biggest lead for either team was just five points. The Buckeyes bolted to a quick 7-2 lead, as Turner scored Ohio State’s first five points, but the Huskers answered to tie the score at 7-7 on a Margaret Richards three-pointer with 14:44 left in the first half. The Buckeyes pushed the lead back to five points at 23-18 with 3:43 left, before freshman Chelsea Aubry caught fire off the bench for the Huskers. The 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, scored six of Nebraska’s final eight points of the half, and the NU defense held Ohio State scoreless for the final 3:43 of the half to send the Huskers to the locker room with a 24-23 lead.
Davenport scored OSU’s first four points of the second half to give the Buckeyes a 27-24 edge with 19:05 left, before Nebraska answered with a 10-2 run on the strength of back-to-back three-pointers by Johnson and Johansen and back-to-back field goals by Morse.
Nebraska led 34-29 with 15:56 left, but Ohio State responded with a 9-0 run to take a 38-34 lead with 12:53 remaining in the game. OSU carried the five-point margin at 51-46 with 7:21 remaining, before Johnson responded with back-to-back jumpers, including a three-pointer to tie the score at 51 with 5:30 left.
Ohio State regained the lead at 55-54 with 2:32 remaining in the game on Kim Wilburn’s jumper but much like the end of the first half, the Husker defense stiffened and shut out the Buckeyes the rest of the way.
Nebraska will try to remain perfect at home this season when the Huskers tangle with the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (3-2) at the Devaney Center on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. Nebraska’s alumni will return for the contest and participate in the annual Alumni Game, which is set for 11 a.m.