Lincoln - Kyndal Clark, Natalie Romeo and Jessica Shepard combined for 61 points to power Nebraska to a 79-71 women's basketball win over Arkansas State on Monday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
The Huskers closed non-conference play with a 9-2 record, including a 9-0 mark at Pinnacle Bank Arena to stretch their home non-conference winning streak to 20 games. Arkansas State slipped to 6-3 with their largest margin of defeat this season.
Clark, a 5-7 senior from Webb City, Mo., scored eight of her season-high 22 points in the fourth quarter to help the Huskers overcome a 52-51 deficit heading into the final period. The 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year as a junior at Drake, Clark hit 6-of-11 shots on the night, including 4-of-8 three-pointers. She also sank all six of her free throws while grabbing four rebounds and two steals. She added two assists.
Clark's three-pointer from the corner in front of the Nebraska bench with 37 seconds left sealed the victory, pushing Nebraska's lead to 77-69, after the Red Wolves had cut NU's margin to five with back-to-back baskets in a five-second span.
Romeo, a 5-7 sophomore from Martinez, Calif., contributed seven points of her own in the fourth while adding three assists and a blocked shot. Romeo finished with 20 points, a game-high eight assists, and a career-high matching five rebounds while playing the full 40 minutes for the Big Red.
Shepard, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, notched her fourth double-double of the season with 19 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. The 6-4 freshman from Fremont, Neb., also dished out three assists and added a block in a career-high 37 minutes. Shepard pitched in four points, an assist and six of her 13 rebounds in the final period.
The Huskers also got a gritty effort from point guard Rachel Theriot, who managed 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists while battling a foot injury. The 6-0 senior from Middleburg Heights, Ohio, sank 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch to seal NU's ninth win.
Aundrea Gamble led three Red Wolves in double figures with a game-high 27 points on 10-of-22 shooting, while adding a team-high 11 rebounds. Khadija Brown-Haywood added 18 points and eight boards, while Brittney Gill contributed 13 points and six boards before fouling out.
In a cold-shooting first half for both teams, Nebraska took a 32-27 lead to the locker room at halftime with a balanced half marked by missed opportunities. Shepard led the Big Red with nine points and seven rebounds, while Theriot and Clark each contributed eight points. Romeo added six points on a pair of three pointers to help the Huskers.
Nebraska, which entered the game shooting 48.9 percent from the field through 10 games, hit just 35.3 percent (12-34) of its shots, but did knock down 4-of-9 threes, with two each from Romeo and Clark.
Arkansas State was even colder, hitting just 31.6 percent (12-38) of its shots, including 3-of-14 threes. The Huskers won the rebound battle, 27-23, in the first half, but the Red Wolves won the turnover war, 8-7.
Gamble led ASU with 12 first-half points, but no other Red Wolf managed more than four points against Nebraska's defense.
Arkansas State claimed control in the third quarter, outscoring the Huskers, 25-19, in the period before the Huskers rallied to outscore the Red Wolves, 28-19 in the final stanza.
Nebraska finished at 43.3 percent (26-60) from the field for the game, including 53.8 percent (14-26) in the second half. The Huskers knocked down 7-of-17 three-pointers and 20-of-26 free throws, including 16-of-18 in the second half.
Arkansas State hit just 36.1 percent (30-83) of its shots for the game, including just 5-of-30 from long range. The Red Wolves hit 6-of-9 free throws. ASU outrebounded Nebraska, 46-44, and won the turnover battle, 11-9.
Nebraska opens Big Ten Conference play on Thursday, Dec. 31 when the Huskers take on Iowa. Tip-off between the Huskers and the Hawkeyes at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 1 p.m., and tickets are available now at Huskers.com.
Official Basketball Box Score Arkansas State vs Nebraska 12/21/15 7:06 p.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena (Lincoln, Neb.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VISITORS: Arkansas State 6-3, 0-0 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 03 Brown-Haywood, Khadi f 8-21 1-11 1-3 2 6 8 2 18 2 1 1 2 40 05 Gill, Brittney...... g 6-13 1-3 0-0 4 2 6 5 13 2 1 1 1 29 11 Lawson, Amanda...... g 2-7 0-1 0-0 5 0 5 5 4 0 2 0 0 22 21 Flanery, Jessica.... g 2-9 0-6 0-0 3 2 5 0 4 3 0 0 0 27 24 Gamble, Aundrea..... g 10-22 2-7 5-6 4 7 11 4 27 2 4 0 1 40 01 Bradshaw, Lauren.... 1-5 0-0 0-0 0 7 7 1 2 0 1 2 0 15 13 Fowler, Brittany.... 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 15 14 Holloway, Christyal. 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 25 Oliver, Dominique... 1-2 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 2 3 1 0 0 0 9 33 Obinabo, Ogo........ 0-2 0-0 0-0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 TEAM................ 1 1 Totals.............. 30-83 5-30 6-9 20 26 46 21 71 10 9 4 4 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-38 31.6% 2nd Half: 18-45 40.0% Game: 36.1% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-14 21.4% 2nd Half: 2-16 12.5% Game: 16.7% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 0-1 0.0% 2nd Half: 6-8 75.0% Game: 66.7% 1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOME TEAM: Nebraska 9-2, 0-0 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 32 Shepard, Jessica.... f 8-15 0-0 3-6 6 7 13 3 19 3 1 1 0 37 22 Havers, Allie....... c 2-4 0-0 0-0 0 8 8 4 4 1 1 1 0 32 04 Clark, Kyndal....... g 6-11 4-8 6-6 0 4 4 2 22 2 1 0 2 38 05 Romeo, Natalie...... g 7-16 3-8 3-4 0 5 5 2 20 8 3 1 0 40 33 Theriot, Rachel..... g 3-8 0-1 7-8 0 7 7 0 13 4 5 0 1 38 12 Wood, Emily......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0+ 31 Kalenta, Anya....... 0-3 0-0 1-2 2 1 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 11 34 Cincore, Jasmine.... 0-3 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 TEAM................ 2 2 Totals.............. 26-60 7-17 20-26 9 35 44 11 79 18 11 3 3 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-34 35.3% 2nd Half: 14-26 53.8% Game: 43.3% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 4-9 44.4% 2nd Half: 3-8 37.5% Game: 41.2% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 4-8 50.0% 2nd Half: 16-18 88.9% Game: 76.9% 5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Officials: Beverly Roberts, Amy Bonner, Michael Price Technical fouls: Arkansas State-None. Nebraska-None. Attendance: 4991 Score by Periods 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total Arkansas State................ 10 17 25 19 - 71 Nebraska...................... 14 18 19 28 - 79