Bryce McGowens showcased his entire arsenal while Keisei Tominaga had himself a coming out party as Nebraska (5-2) beat South Dakota (4-2) 83-70 Saturday afternoon.
McGowens put up a stat-line that included 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists, one block, and one steal. He hit a pair of threes, including an impressive step-back in the second half. His final moment before getting subbed out late was a tip-dunk.
“I love the confidence he’s playing with,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said. “I thought today was probably overall his best game.”
Tominaga, shooting just 21 percent from deep coming into this one, made 5-of-6 3s on his way to a game high 23 points. Tominaga not only had a career-high scoring, he was equally excited every time a teammate scored. That’s something Hoiberg notices.
“He never complains, mostly because he doesn’t understand what I’m saying to him,” Hoiberg said. “He’s such a popular teammate. Guys know how much he cares.”
Tominaga’s energy was essential as Nebraska struggled in the first half to put the game away.
The Japanese sharpshooter hit a pair of 3s before Eduardo Andre got a dunk to pull the game within one in the first half. From there, Nebraska pulled away to lead by eight points at halftime.
Some back and forth out of the break saw the gap close to as tight as six points, but a 15-0 run put the game out of reach. The Huskers led by as much as 23 before settling for the 13 point win.
Nebraska shot 45.9 percent from the floor, including making 9-of-23 3s.
Derrick Walker also scored in double-figures with 13 points.
An issue that has plagued the Huskers has been giving up offensive rebounds and second chance points. The Coyotes grabbed 13
“The fire 3s are what kill you on those offense rebounds,” Hoiberg said. “Just gotta continue to defend throughout the possession, even on the offensive glass.”
The road for the next five games gets significantly tougher. All five games are against power conference teams, with three on the road. The first is a road trip to North Carolina State Wednesday as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.