Nebraska Postgame Notes
*-Nebraska improved to 20-8 with the win. The Huskers have won 20 games in the regular season for just the sixth time in the 122-year history of the program and for the first time since the 1992-93 season. NU picked up win No. 20 on Feb. 13, matching the earliest date a Husker team has reached 20 wins. The 1990-91 team also won its 20th game on Feb. 13.
*-The Huskers remained in fourth place in the Big Ten Conference standings by improving to 11-4 record in league play. The 11 wins tie for the most conference wins by a Nebraska team since NU joined the Big Ten in the 2011-12 season (also 11 wins in 2013-14 season). Overall, Nebraska has won 11 conference games for just the fifth time in school history. The most conference victories by a Husker team is 12 Big Eight wins during the 1956-66 season and 12 Missouri Valley Conference wins during the 1915-16 season.
*-NU has won a season-high six straight games, all in conference play. Nebraska has won six straight conference games for the first time since the Huskers won their final six Big 12 conference games to close out the 1997-98 season.
*-The Huskers stretched their home winning streak to nine games, the longest streak in the Big Ten Conference.
*-Nebraska trailed 32-30 at halftime, marking just the second time this season the Huskers have trailed at the half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska won its first home game of the season when trailing at half and improved to 14-1 inside Pinnacle Bank Arena this season, including a perfect 7-0 mark in Big Ten play.
*-James Palmer Jr. scored 24 second-half points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field, after he was limited to two points on 1-of-6 shooting in the first half. Palmer’s 24 second-half points tied the Nebraska record for most points in a half and marked the fifth time a Husker scored 24 points in a half. The last Husker to accomplish the feat was Aleks Maric, who had 24 points in the second half against Missouri exactly 10 years ago (Feb. 13, 2008).
*-Palmer has now been in double figures in 26 of Nebraska’s 28 games. His 24 points marked his eighth 20-point effort of the season and his fifth in the last nine games. It is also the fourth time this season the Palmer has had five or more assists in a game.
*-Isaiah Roby produced his third career double-double – and second straight –with 11 points and 10 rebounds. All 11 of Roby’s points came in the second half.
*-Palmer (24) and Roby (11) combined for 35 of Nebraska’s 40 second-half points. The duo went a combined 12-of-17 from the field and 9-of-12 from the free-throw line.
*-With three blocks tonight, Isaiah Roby became the fifth Husker sophomore to record 50 or more blocks in a season, joining Mikki Moore, Rich King, Venson Hamilton and John Turek. Roby now has 52 blocks this season.
*-Glynn Watson Jr. became the 29th Husker to reach 1,000 career points, as he scored eight points. His 1,000th career point gave Nebraska the winning margin, as he reached the milestone by hitting the first of two free throws to give the Huskers a 67-65 lead with six seconds remaining. Watson is the fourth player under Time Miles to reach 1,000 career points, joining Terran Petteway, Shavon Shields and Tai Webster.
Nebraska Coach Tim Miles
On the main reason the Huskers won tonight
“Well, the obvious answer is James Palmer’s outburst. It was really uplifting. It allowed us to stretch out and get a bit of a lead. But I really think our defense and ability to keep them off the three-point line and still rebound with them was just as important. It’s just not as pretty.”
On if Pinnacle Bank Arena is one of the best environments in college basketball
“It’s a great venue and our students and our fans are tremendous. It was so loud tonight, it was awesome. That really has such an impact on our players. Our fans make a difference in winning and losing and this is a fun place to be.”
On if James Palmer Jr. should be All-Big Ten
“I’ve got to think about that, but he’s certainly all-conference worthy. I don’t know that I’d trade him for a lot of guys, so yeah, probably.”
On the slow start
“I thought that we were a little nervous early. I really do think we were nervous. I thought the moment kind of got to us a little bit and both teams knew what was at stake. These are two teams that have to put together a run. We’re in the middle of one. Maryland needs to get on one, and they’ve just beat good Northwestern team handily and this was a big opportunity for them. So I think that gravity certainly sunk in, the gravity of that moment. I told the guys after the game, ‘This is a special circumstance, but enjoy it. This is what you work for, so let’s relax. Let’s just stay in the moment, play great and don’t worry about, oh it’s a big game. They’re all big. Illinois is huge, so big deal. Just go out and play the way you can and I think the results will take care of themselves.’”
On the importance of James Palmer Jr. maintaining his composure
“I wouldn’t have been able to know that James was having a tough half. I know (Isaiah) Roby felt like he was having a tough half defensively, but there is a reason for that. But James came out early, got some things going.
On the mental toughness brought from the team at the free throw line at the end
“That was important to make them down the stretch because free throws are mental toughness. That’s what we always say, that you’re prepared - and that’s why I felt again like we were nervous. I think we missed our first three or five. But to make them down the stretch I thought was really important. I think it was Glynn, Isaiah and James all made really critical shots, so that’s how you win close games too. You have to make your layups, make your free throws.”
Junior Guard James Palmer Jr.
On the change in the offensive mentality in the second half
"After halftime we just wanted to get to the rim more and be more aggressive, because in the first half we settled for jump shots, and in the second half we just wanted to get to the rim more."
On how fun it is to play in games like this
"Definitely if I'm playing in big games like this, everybody likes playing in big games with a big crowd, and the crowd did a great job tonight helping us get a win. I think we came out in the second half and proved that we can play anybody and come out with the win."
Sophomore Forward Isaiah Roby
On whether tonight felt like a tournament game
"Yeah, I mean, I think they're battling too, I'm not sure what their tournament chances are, but they're battling like a team that's trying to make it, too. So all the teams from here on out are playing for something, so every game is like a tournament game. You lose, it could hurt your chances a lot. So we're taking every day like it's our last, pretty much."
Junior Guard Glynn Watson Jr.
On the team's defense in the last few minutes of the game
"We were just aggressive. We tried to deny some of their things, especially from No. 1 (sophomore Maryland guard Anthony Cowan Jr.) and No. 4 (sophomore Maryland guard Kevin Huerter), because their offense goes through them. So we were just trying to deny some of it and be aggressive."
On scoring his 1000th point tonight
"It really doesn't mean anything to me, unless we're winning. We've been winning. I haven't been playing that well on offense, but I just try to bring it on defense, and it means a lot that I got 1,000 points, but if you don't win it doesn't mean anything. So shout out to these guys (James Palmer Jr. and Isaiah Roby) for doing other things and ([James Palmer Jr.] being a great scorer, and also [Isaiah] Roby."
Maryland Head Coach Mark Turgeon
Opening Statement:
“Another tough loss for us on the road. We keep competing out here and losing by three or four. I thought we were going to get over the hump tonight. We had the ball with 40 seconds to go, and we just couldn’t get a shot. It was a heck of a play by [Glynn Watson Jr.] We could have folded when they got up nine. The building was live and they were feeling good. Two of our best defenders picked up fouls, [it] changed the game and really got [James Palmer Jr.] going. It changed the game.”
On Maryland’s on the road fouls:
“I have to watch the film on Kevin Huerter’s third foul. That was a huge foul. Kevin says he did not touch him, so I have to watch the film on it. That was big. His (Huerter) fourth was silly, because he reached in. He and Darryl [Morsell] - we have to have on the court against a guy like [James Palmer Jr.] and [Isaac Copeland]. [They are] experienced guys, fourth-year guys. The last shot, we wanted to get a back door for Kevin [Huerter] and it didn’t work. We had a post up for [Bruno Fernando]. Obviously we didn’t think he was open. We didn’t throw it in. We penetrated and he (Kevin Huerter) thought he had a shot. Glynn Watson Jr. made an unbelievable block on that play.”
On Bruno Fernando:
“He didn’t start the game very well, but I thought he was terrific after that. Five assists is great for him and he was reading the situations better. He hasn’t been very good against double teams. He grew up a lot. [Fernando] made some defensive mistakes late, but he grew up. It was good to see that he got more confident as the game went on. It wasn’t our offense, our offense was good enough. We shot 48 percent on the road against some really good defensive teams, really talented defensive teams. We couldn’t score around the rim with Darryl [Morsell]. Darryl would get in there and couldn’t score around the rim, that was a big part of the game. They did a good job on Anthony [Cowan Jr.] and Kevin [Huerter]. When you have two guys, its pretty easy to lock in on those two guys. They did a great job. They have really good individual defenders that locked in those two kids.”
On James Palmer Jr.:
“Well he got hot obviously. Two of my best defenders to guard him, both have fouls. We made some mistakes too. We let him get to the rim. When No. 32 [Jordy Tshimanga] was in, our five man should’ve been standing at the rim. It was pretty frustrating to be quite honest with you, but Palmer is good. I've watched him since he was a sophomore in high school. Nothing he did tonight surprised me.”