The Nebraska women’s basketball team opened its season with a dominant 103-46 win over Northwestern State Monday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena in the season opener for both teams.
Claire Johnson came off the bench to score a team-leading 21 points in her Husker debut. The Samford transfer was seven-for-nine shooting from the field and a perfect five-for-five from the free-throw line. Britt Prince added 19 points on seven-for-12 shooting. Callin Hake tallied 13, while Jessica Petrie and Petra Bozan both added 11. The Lady Demons were led by the 20 points of Vernell Atamah, but no other Northwestern State player scored in double figures.
The Demons led 2-0 and 4-2 early, before a 12-0 Cornhuskers run shifted control of the game. Prince led the run, scoring eight of the points on the run while assisting on another basket. An 11-0 run later in the quarter ballooned the Nebraska lead to 23-8. NU led 32-10 after one period. An 18-0 run covered the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second, building the Huskers’ lead to 41-10 with 8:10 to go in the first half. The lead grew to 42 twice in the second quarter, and Nebraska went into the intermission leading, 59-18. In the second half, Northwestern State got no closer than 38 points, and the Huskers cruised from there to victory.
Nebraska is next in action Saturday at 5 p.m. at home against Samford. Pregame coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. on 105.3 The Bone.