3 takeaways as Nebraska basketball cruises against South Carolina State

Nebraska basketball was a heavy favorite on Friday night but rolled to its 11th win of the season.

After the way Nebraska baskeball struggled against North Dakota last week, there was a slight concern heading into another buy game against South Carolina State.

South Carolina State was one of the worst teams in college basketball according to the Kenpom rankings, while Nebraska is a team in firm contention for the NCAA tournament.

On Friday night, in a game on BTN+, it certainly looked that way. When Brice Williams and Keisei Tominaga scored buckets to open the second half, the Huskers’ lead was 43 points. There was talk of Nebraska basketball breaking the PBA record for margin of victory.

It didn’t quite work out that way. South Carolina played much better after scoring just 11 points in the first half. Still, it was a solid showing from the Huskers. C.J. Wilcher helped set the tone and led all scorers with 18 points. Williams added 16, while Josiah Allick managed 10 in the absence of Rienk Mast.

Nebraska is now 11-2 heading into the rest of the Big Ten schedule, which starts on Wednesday against Indiana. Here are three takeaways from the Huskers’ 91-62 win.

Wilcher has been off the charts

In the win over North Dakota, Wilcher made two 3-pointers on his way to scoring 16 points in 18 minutes. On Friday night, he had a similar effort scoring 18 points in 19 minutes. He also hit two triples and was 7-of-9 from the field. Wilcher has been shooting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc before this game and he’s been stellar for the Huskers on both ends of the floor. His defensive rating per 100 possessions is the lowest of his college basketball career and he’s thrived coming off the bench.

It feels like Wilcher could make a run at Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year. But on Friday night, he was one of those veterans that was locked in which ensured smooth sailing for the Huskers.

Josiah Allick is steady

There’s no question that Nebraska basketball wants Rienk Mast healthy and back in the lineup as soon as possible, but what a luxury to have Josiah Allick. He scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 19 minutes. He was 4-for-4 from the field, as well as dishing out four assists.

When you talk about having a winning culture, Allick and Wilcher are two guys that come to mind. They don’t get as many shots or minutes as they deserve, but when they are on the floor, they produce and it’s been impressive to watch.

Nebraska basketball defense was on point

Things were a little shakier in the second half when the Huskers gave up 51 points in 20 minutes, but you have to be impressed with the first-half effort. If Nebraska didn’t go as deep into the bench, South Carolina State probably wouldn’t have scored 50 for the entire game.

Hell, the way the Huskers defended in the first half, I’m not sure they get 40. Nebraska still held South Carolina State to 31 percent from the field and 22 percent from the 3-point line. The Huskers also forced 18 turnovers. Nebraska did have 20 in its own right, but there were plenty of bench guys getting lots of run in the second half, which will be a good thing for the future, even if it was a little ugly at times.

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