Nebraska played a competitive game against No. 12 Ohio State but couldn’t find their usual fourth-quarter spark, falling 72-66 on Sunday in Lincoln.
First Quarter
The Huskers came out strong, matching Ohio State’s intensity and taking an early 5-2 lead. Freshman Britt Prince played stellar defense, and Nebraska maintained control, leading by as much as six points (15-9). The Buckeyes, known for forcing turnovers, found themselves on the receiving end as Nebraska pressured them into five early mistakes. Alexis Markowski scored seven points in the quarter, helping the Huskers to a 21-17 lead.
Second Quarter
Ohio State opened the second quarter with a four-point run to tie the game at 21, but Nebraska quickly responded with a 3-pointer from Jessica Petrie (24-22). The Huskers pushed their lead to six (28-22) after a steal and layup by Alberte Rimdal. However, Ohio State answered with back-to-back 3-pointers to narrow the gap. Nebraska maintained a slim lead (36-32) late in the half, but a pair of Buckeye free throws and a buzzer-beating 3-pointer trimmed the lead to 38-36 at halftime. Markowski led Nebraska with nine points in the half, while Callin Hake added eight.
Third Quarter
The teams traded leads early in the third quarter, with Nebraska briefly going ahead 45-43 on a basket by Petrie. Ohio State then went on a critical five-point run to take a 52-50 lead midway through the quarter. Rimdal hit a 3-pointer to momentarily regain the lead for Nebraska, but the Buckeyes responded with an eight-point surge to close the quarter ahead 61-55.
Fourth Quarter
Ohio State extended their lead to 63-55 early in the fourth and slowed the pace, using up significant clock during their possessions. Nebraska struggled to capitalize offensively, scoring only two points in the first five minutes. Logan Nissley’s 3-pointer energized the crowd (65-60), and Markowski’s three-point play brought the Huskers within one (65-64) with under three minutes remaining.
However, Ohio State’s Taylor Thierry broke their scoring drought with a clutch 3-pointer, pushing the lead to 68-64. Nebraska cut the deficit to two, but missed opportunities, including two late free throws, sealed their fate. Madison Greene’s free throws in the final seconds clinched the 72-66 win for Ohio State.
Key Stats and Takeaways
•Alexis Markowski: 18 points, six rebounds
•Callin Hake: 12 points
•Britt Prince: Eight points, eight rebounds
•Team Shooting: Nebraska shot 38% (25-66) from the field compared to Ohio State’s 50% (27-54).
•Turnovers: Nebraska kept turnovers low (13) and forced 16 from Ohio State.
Nebraska’s defense was strong, holding the Buckeyes below their season scoring average of 80+ points, but the Huskers couldn’t generate enough offense in the fourth quarter. It was a valiant effort against a top-ranked opponent, but missed opportunities in key moments left Nebraska with a tough loss.
The Huskers will now look ahead to road matchups against Purdue on Thursday and Indiana on Sunday.
