ANALYSIS OF THE FIRST HALF:
Nebraska took control of the first half from the jump. Nebraska took a 13-4 lead in the first 4 minutes on 6-8 shooting. The Huskers were particularly good from distance early, a trend that would continue throughout the half. Nebraska’s lead grew to 20 points at the under-8 timeout, as Nebraska had really balanced scoring from 5 different guys.
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Nebraska started the night 7-9, while New Mexico was 0-6. Both teams were a little sloppy with the basketball, but Nebraska remained in control. Braden Frager was the first guy to reach double figures. Deyton Albury, who is New Mexico’s leading scorer, did something incredibly stupid with 1:38 left in the half.
After Connor Essegian nearly took a flailing arm from another Lobos player while fighting for a rebound, Albury decided to slap/cut Essegian in the back of the head, earning him a flagrant foul of 2 and an automatic ejection. Nebraska finished the half strong and took a 43-25 lead into the locker room.
FIRST HALF STATS:
Nebraska shot 16-31 for 52% from the floor. They went 9-19 for 47% from deep and 2-3 for 67% from the free throw line. The Huskers collected 18 rebounds, only 2 of which were offensive. Nebraska had 12 assists for 9 turnovers. They had 19 bench points.
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The Huskers were led by Braden Frager, who had 12 points coming off the bench. Jamarques Lawrence had 11. Sam Hoiberg led the way with 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Hoiberg continues his role as the team’s second-leading rebounder.
New Mexico shot 9-28 for 32% from the field. They went 4-18 for 22% from deep and 3-6 for 50% from the free throw line. The Lobos collected 15 rebounds, including 3 offensive ones. New Mexico had 10 turnovers for 6 assists. They only had 9 bench points.
The Lobos were led by Jake Hall, who had 6 points. Antonio Chol and Uriah Tenette each had 5. Chol also led the team with 4 rebounds. Deyton Albury finished the night with 3 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals before his ejection.
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ANALYSIS OF THE SECOND HALF:
Nebraska, which usually starts well in the second half, certainly didn’t this time around. New Mexico started the half up 19-8 in the opening 5:30. New Mexico started the half 5-7 from the 3-point line. Nebraska’s hot shooting turned incredibly cold in the first 8 minutes, as they started 3-11 from the floor, while the Lobos went 8-15.
New Mexico cut the lead to 4, but that was as close as it got. Nebraska’s balanced scoring kept New Mexico at bay. Nebraska didn’t take care of the basketball, as they had 7 turnovers in the first 10 minutes. Berke Buyuktuncel committed his 4th foul with 7:53 remaining.
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The Huskers would go on a 7-0 run right after that to give the Huskers a 13-point lead. New Mexico couldn’t get back within 9 points, and the Huskers closed out the game to remain undefeated.
FINAL STATS AND THOUGHTS:
Nebraska shot 27-57 for 47% from the floor. They went 13-35 for 37% from deep and 17-25 for 68% from the free throw line. The Huskers collected 38 rebounds, including 5 offensive rebounds. Nebraska had 20 assists to go with 18 turnovers. Nebraska had 27 bench points.
The Huskers were led by Jamarques Lawrence, who had 21 points. Braden Frager had 20 on the bench. Frager led the way with 8 rebounds, while Sam Hoiberg and Berke Buyuktuncel each had 7. Hoiberg had 6 assists.
New Mexico shot 26-67 for 39% from the field. They went 13-44 for 30% from deep and 7-11 for 64% from the free throw line. The Lobos collected 36 rebounds, including 8 offensive ones. New Mexico had 18 assists to go with 16 turnovers. They had 22 bench points.
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The Lobos were led by Jake Hall, who had 20 points. Antonio Chol and Tomislav Buljan grabbed 7 rebounds each. Chris Howell led the way with 6 assists.
Nebraska looked like it was going to be an easy cruise early in this contest as it had a 20-point lead. Credit to New Mexico for making this a game, as their lead was cut to 4 midway through the second half. The Huskers did a great job responding and keeping the Lobos at bay. There were way too many turnovers, going from just 2 against Oklahoma to 18 tonight.
If Nebraska wants to succeed against tougher opponents, that absolutely can’t happen. The defense seemed to disappear in the second half for much of it, much like it did in the first half against the Sooners. The turnovers looked half-step slow and the Lobos had plenty of open looks. Nebraska will face the winner of Kansas State and Mississippi State tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m. in Kansas City.
