Nebraska Women’s Basketball walked into Madison, Wisconsin, with one goal in mind, continue their perfect Big Ten regular season start. With gritty performances by some familiar and new faces, NU did exactly that, defeating the Badgers 69-57.
Alexis Markowski picked up another double-double Thursday night, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds. It’s her third in a row and ninth of the year. Her All-Big Ten partner, Jaz Shelley, also played a significant role, dishing out six assists, five points, and four rebounds.
But tonight was all about the new kid on the block, Natalie Potts. Potts scored all 16 of her points in the second half of offensive struggles for Nebraska. When the Huskers needed a bucket, the Freshman from O’Fallen, Missouri, was there. It was another impressive performance for Pott’s, who already looks poised to bring home Big Ten Freshman of the Year in January.
Markowski got off to a hot start in the first quarter for NU, scoring eight of Nebraska’s first 11 points, propelling the Huskers to an early 13-6 lead. Despite Markowski’s hot start, the Badgers did not back down. Wisconsin put together a 7-0 run in the middle of the quarter, tying the game at 13 with 3:52 to go. Callin Hake and Markowski banded together, scoring the Big Red’s next 7 points, giving them a 20-15 lead heading into the second.
Markowski, the All-Big Ten forward, recorded 11 points on 4 of 6 shootings from the field, along with three rebounds in the first. The Junior got it done in the paint and beyond the arch, knocking down two threes in the game’s first frame.
NU continued the momentum into quarter number 2. A quick 5-0 run sparked by a Kendall Coley three induced a Wisconsin timeout only a minute and a half into the second. Nebraska did not let up on both ends of the ball, knocking down shots and holding the Badgers to 3 points in the first six minutes of the second frame.
With four to go in half, the Huskers led 31-18. The Badgers regained their footing and traded buckets to the end of the quarter, and Nebraska headed into the lockerrooms leading 38-27.
The third quarter was all Wisconsin. The Badgers came out firing on all cylinders, getting to the free-throw line and knocking threes, cutting the Husker lead to 7, heading into the under-five media timeout. Out of the timeout, the Badgers did not let up, going on a 7-0 run. Despite being under duress the entirety of the quarter, the Huskers kept a 46-43 lead thanks to eight points by Potts. Unable to get anything going, Jaz Shelley knocked down a long three to keep NU afloat, but a buzzer-beater by Wisconsin’s Nata Leuzinger cut Nebraska’s lead to two.
Going into the fourth, the Big Red had two options. They could let their third-quarter struggles seep into the fourth and let the game slip through their hands. Or they could put it behind them, retake control of the game, and continue their perfect start to the Big Ten season.
They chose the latter.
Potts picked up where she left off in the fourth. She continued to dominate inside the paint and picked up easy baskets on great feeds from Jaz Shelley. Freshman Logan Nissley also added some much-needed offensive help in the final quarter, knocking down a three early that got NU’s stalled offense engines running.
But the story of the fourth for Nebraska was defense. The Husker’s zone D thwarted the Badgers, forcing them to shoot an abysmal 21 percent in the fourth and score one field goal in the game’s final six minutes.
Despite Wisocnsin’s struggles, they were in the game until one fatal mistake.
With one minute remaining, the Huskers led 61-55. Under the basket, Alexis Markowski backed down Wisconsin star forward Sareh Williams. As Markowski turned around for a layup, Williams stood her ground and swatted the ball out of bounds. Williams nodded her head in celebration and yelled in Markowski’s direction; the officiating crew determined that Williams’s celebration was grounds for a taunting technical, sending Jaz Shelley to the line for two free throws. Shelley knocked down both free throws, causing Wisconsin to have to foul to extend the game. NU knocked down free throw after free throw, walking out of the Kohl Center victorious 69-57.
Nebraska is now 10-3 on the year and 3-0 in the Big Ten. They play Indiana next at Pinnacle Bank Arean on January 7th.