3 takeaways from a bounce-back win by Nebraska basketball over Indiana

It’s tough to win in the vault, at least for opposing teams, and Nebraska basketball reminded Indiana of that on Friday night in a 85-68 win — the 18th consecutive at home.

After the Huskers built a double-digit lead in the first half, Indiana eventually tied the score with 9:57 left on a hoop by Kanaan Carlyle. From that point, Nebraska outscored Indiana 21-4. Brice Williams scored 11 of those points with two free throws, a 3-pointer, and three other field goals on his way to 30 points.

Juwan Gary had 16 including some key free throws and another important triple down the stretch. Williams and Gary are the two starters back from last season’s team and when the Huskers really needed a win, they found a way to close out Indiana.

The Huskers turned the ball over too much and allowed too many offensive rebounds. But they shot six more free throws, made as many 3-pointers as Indiana, and played much more efficiently on offense.

Here are three takeaways from an important 17-point win.

Brice Williams was the truth

Nebraska basketball couldn’t afford to lose this game and its star players played like it. When Indiana evened things up, Williams and Gary took over. The pair combined to score 16 of the last 21 points.

Williams started much earlier than that though, going 10-of-15 in the game, 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, and 8-of-11 from the 3-point line in 34 minutes. He also grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists.

Nebraska was the favorite, but Indiana was 20 spots ahead of the Huskers in the Kenpom rankings. It was going to take a strong effort, especially after a blowout loss, and Brice Williams set the tone early, before shutting the door late.

Nebraska basketball defense was on point

Williams will get the headlines but Nebraska basketball won this game because of defense. Indiana averaged 17 3-point attempts per game coming in.

On Friday, they attempted 35 and made just eight. The Hoosiers shot 23 percent from 3-point range. They shot 35 percent overall and even though Indiana made 50 percent of its 2-point attempts, Nebraska limited them to 30.

That wasn’t the game plan I can promise you. Nebraska made eight 3-pointers on 14 attempts (21 fewer). The Huskers also made 62 percent of their shots inside the arc.

They had 16 assists compared to 10 for the Hoosiers and if it wasn’t for the 14 offensive rebounds allowed, there would be hard to find anything to complain about on defense.

Huskers CAN shoot it well

Don’t believe the 29.8 3-point percentage. That’s what Nebraska was shooting prior to the win over Indiana from 3-point range. The Huskers shot 57 percent as they attempted 25 percent of their shots from beyond the arc.

I’ve been saying that Nebraska won’t shoot that poorly all season. Five players connected on triples for the Huskers. Williams, Gary, and Connor Essegian each had two.

Nebraska has been inconsistent from 3-point range, but when this team is making shots from the perimeter, it’s hard to beat and we saw that again on Friday.

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