Well ladies and gentleman, we're back to one of the greatest times of the year: College Basketball. Get ready for all the highs and lows that this year will bring and let it affect you for the next four months..well don't actually do that, but I always do anyway.
Nebraska had many good things happen today, but also some things that need to be cleaned up; however, that is what's expected in game one of the season. The good news is Natalie Potts and Allison Weidner made their return to the court and they played well. Britt Prince started where she left off last season, she ended the game with 23 making her two points shy of hitting 1,000 points in her career. The newcomers also had great performances in their debut.
Starters for Nebraska: Britt Prince, Allison Weidner, Kennadi Williams, Amiah Hargrove, and Edessa Noyan.
First Quarter
Welcome back! We've tipped off in Lincoln, Nebraska, and the Huskers start off the season with a defensive stop. Amiah Hargrove gets the day started with a nice layup assisted by Allison Weidner. Next possession, Britt Prince drills the corner three and after a good hustle play by Kennadi Williams, Edessa Noyan drops the ball in the hoop for her first points of the day (7-3 Neb). A defensive breakdown leads to a San Jose State bucket. Ashlyn Koupal takes a three from the corner, rebounded by Noyan, kicked back out to Williams who drills the three. Natalie Potts gets the pass from Prince inside and she makes good on it with her first points, immediately after Prince gets a steal and heads to the rim. Nebraska is up 14-7 and we head to a timeout.
Britt Prince gets the ball on the far side after a ball reversal, gets down hill and will go to the line for the three point play, Prince now has eight points. Williams holds the ball for a bit too long getting a 5 second call, but makes up for it by getting a steal and then causing another turnover on the next possession. Nebraska hasn't scored for about two minutes now, but to be fair neither has SJSU, it's been 17-7 for quite awhile. Of course as I say this, Britt Prince drills a three, she has 11 straight for Nebraska. Allison Weidner gets to the rim and draws the foul, heading to the line. She misses the first one, but gets the second one to fall (21-9 Neb). Natalie Potts shoots the fade away jumper, misses, but will shoot free throws (2 of 2). Nebraska ends the first quarter the way they started it, with a great defensive stop.
Nebraska 23 SJSU 14
Second Quarter
The start to this quarter has been kind of ugly, filled with multiple turnovers, but Potts gets a steal and another bucket, she has 6 points on the day. Nebraska causes another turnover with their defensive presence and we head to a timeout with 8:04 left. Amiah Hargrove gets the offensive rebound, gets fouled and will go the line (1 of 2). I apologize for the lull in information here as not much has happened. The Huskers are getting good looks, they are just not falling. Nebraska gets called for the three second violation. SJSU has been having a block party so far this afternoon. Britt Prince shows off the handles and then hits the jumper as the shot clock expires. Edessa Noyan has been flying to the rebounds today, she has five in the first half. Emily Fisher heads to the charity stripe for free throws and she splits the pair (31-16 Neb).
Natalie Potts gets called for the offensive foul as she just sticks her hip out a little to far on the screen, but she'll make up for it with a wide open layup off of a steal from Kennadi Williams. Prince off the inbound play rolls around two defenders, gets the bucket and the foul. Potts gets the steal, misses the layup, but Amiah Hargrove is there for the clean up. Kennadi Williams is doing a lot of hustle work that won't show up in the box score, most of that being forcing SJSU into multiple turnovers. Nebraska ends the quarter up 37-21.
Nebraska 37 SJSU 21
Halftime Stats
Britt Prince: 15 points, 7 rebounds
Natalie Potts: 8 points
Amiah Hargrove: 7 points, 5 rebounds
Edessa Noyan: 6 rebounds
Kennadi Williams: 3 steals, 2 assists
Nebraska is shooting just 36%, but is holding SJSU to 29% from the field. The Huskers are 3-14 from long range, that is something I would like to see get cleaned up. The rebounding battle is in favor of the Huskers 31-16, the Big Red also has nine steals in the afternoon.
Third Quarter
I just love when we start quarters off so horrible; fouls, turnovers, bad shots. Britt Prince now has 17 points after she sinks her sideways jumper, Potts steals the ball and throws it ahead to a wide open Allison Weidner. That will force a timeout with 8:19 left in the third. Britt Prince gets a steal and it leads to a Potts basket, next possession it's a Prince three, then the next possession it's Potts again. Britt has 23 points so far after she drills another three (51-28 Neb). Media timeout with 4:45 left in the quarter.
Edessa Noyan sets Amiah Hargrove up for an easy layup, Nebraska forces another stop and that leads to another Amiah Hargrove layup. Noyan gets set up for her second bucket of the day by Maddi Stewart; Prince gets the steal and sends it up to Hargrove who almost gets it to fall, but she'll go to the line regardless (1 of 2). Ashlyn Koupal gets her first points of the day with a three assisted by Prince (61-31 Neb). Emily Fisher has a nice up and under move that allows her to get to the rim for two points. Nebraska ends the quarter up 30 points on SJSU.
Nebraska 63 SJSU 33
Fourth Quarter
Emily Fisher starts the fourth quarter off with her second layup of the day. Britt Prince adds a block to an already great opening day performance. I would like to see Nebraska take care of the ball a bit better here in the fourth, there's been a few too many turnovers it feels like and SJSU is starting to heat up from three. Ava Miles gets fouled on a one foot jumper that doesn't fall, she splits the pair. Amiah Hargrove drains the 24 foot three and puts Nebraska up 69-43. Allison Weidner takes her defender to the rim and gets fouled where she makes both of her free throws. Media timeout with 4:54 left.
Not too much has happened since we've resumed play. Ashlyn Koupal gets the tough shot to go inside the paint; Natalie Potts gets the block and rebound on the other end. Maddi Stewart gets her mid range jumper to fall for her first points. Emily Fisher gets sent to the line after getting pushed in the back on a Potts attempted three, she makes both. Potts will also head to the line after corralling a rebound and both are good. Ava Miles gathers the SJSU turnover and it inevitably ends in a Koupal layup. Nebraska will dibble out the clock as they get their first win of the season.
Nebraska 81 SJSU 54
Postgame Stats
Britt Prince: 23 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and a block
Amiah Hargrove: 15 points, 9 rebounds
Natalie Potts: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals
Ashlyn Koupal: 7 points, 3 rebounds
Emily Fisher: 7 points, 3 rebounds
Edessa Noyan: 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Nebraska shot 41% from the field, but just 24% from three point range. The Huskers did win the rebounding battle 44-31 and assisted on 19 of their shots. They also forced SJSU into 32 turnovers, 15 of them being steals.
