Alexis Markowski scored 30 points on 13-for-19 shooting and also grabbed eight rebounds to lead Nebraska to a regular-season ending 98-77 win at Northwestern Sunday in Evanston, Ill. The win secured the No. 10 seed for the Huskers in the Big Ten Tournament, setting up a first-round matchup with No. 15 seed Rutgers Wednesday evening in Indianapolis.
Nebraska was bolstered by the return of freshman guard Britt Prince, who had missed the prior two games with an ankle injury. Prince tallied 15 points and six assists in her first game back. Alberte Rimdal came off the bench to score 17 points on 5-for-6 from behind the three-point arc, part of a 45 percent effort for the Huskers in shooting three-pointers. Jessica Petrie contributed in every phase, scoring 11 points while grabbing eight rebounds and dishing seven assists.
The Wildcats were paced by Caleigh Walsh, who scored 22 points on 8-for-15 shooting. Melannie Daley scored 15 points while Taylor Williams and Caroline Lau added 11.
Nebraska started strong offensively, scoring a season-high-tying 31 points in the first quarter while shooting 55 percent to build a 31-18 lead. The Cornhuskers pushed the lead to 55-38 at halftime, and nudged further out with a 73-55 lead through three quarters. Nebraska led by as many as 25 points late in the fourth quarter and cruised in to victory.
The Huskers won the game on the glass, outrebounding Northwestern, 43-31. Nebraska worked especially hard on the offensive glass, grabbing five more offensive rebounds than Northwestern to build a 22-11 advantage in second-chance points. The Huskers’ ball movement was also better, as Nebraska had 29 assists compared to 16 for the Wildcats.
The Huskers now move into the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. The No. 10 seed, Nebraska faces No. 15 seed Rutgers Wednesday evening. The winner of that game will face No. 7 seed Illinois on Thursday.