No. 24 Nebraska women’s basketball shook off a slow first quarter to hammer Omaha, 87-35, Tuesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. After the Cornhuskers (10-0) led 20-15 thru one quarter, Nebraska allowed just 20 points the rest of the game to the Mavericks (1-9).
Callin Hake lit up Omaha for a career-high-tying 17 points, all in the first half, including five three-pointers. Jessica Petrie tallied 14 points and seven rebounds in front of her parents and three siblings, all in attendance from her native Australia. Amiah Hargrove narrowly missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds. Britt Prince, the focus of the Mavericks’ defensive attention, was held to eight points on three-for-seven shooting. Sarai Estupinan paced Omaha with 10 points, the only double-digit scorer for the Mavs.
The Huskers forced 31 Omaha turnovers, converting them into 36 points. Prince had five steals to lead Nebraska in that effort.
The Mavericks hung in during the first quarter, tying the game at 13 with 2:54 remaining in the first quarter. But two Prince steals and a Prince three-pointer keyed a 7-2 run to close the first with Nebraska leading by five.
The Huskers started to pull away in the second quarter, building a 41-21 lead on the strength of a 21-6 run in the seven minutes of the half. Nebraska took a 46-22 lead to halftime.
The Huskers started the third quarter on a 15-2 run, opening a 61-24 lead midway through the third quarter. Nebraska led 68-30 through three quarters and cruised from there to victory.
Next up for the Huskers is Illinois State on Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Pregame coverage begins at 10:30 a.m., with tipoff at 11 a.m. on 105.3 The Bone.