The Nebraska women’s basketball team scored the first nine points of the game and never trailed during an 82-63 win against Illinois on Saturday in Champaign, Illinois.
Nebraska sprinted to a 14-2 lead in the first five minutes.
The Huskers got great games from their two Australian players. Jaz Shelley scored 21 points with five three-pointers. Isabelle Bourne added 17 points, including 10 of Nebraska’s first 12.
Shelley reached her total without attempting a free throw, going 8-for-17 from the field for her third 20-point game of the season.
Shelley hadn’t shot as well lately but still remains very valuable to the Huskers because of her great passing and rebounding.
“Today (Shelley) shot the ball well and was aggressive-minded offensively,†Nebraska coach Amy Williams said to the Huskers Radio Network.
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Bella Cravens pitched in a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds off the bench to help the Huskers. Cravens also had three assists.
Sam Haiby had 10 points, eight rebounds and a game-high five assists. Freshman Alexis Markowski scored nine points and had seven rebounds.
Nebraska ended a two-game losing streak and got back above .500 in the Big Ten (7-6). Nebraska is tied for sixth place in the league standings with two weeks left in the regular season.
The Huskers are in a stretch of three games in five days and play again Monday against No. 7 Indiana.
Nebraska shot 44% from the field for its best shooting percentage in the past five games. Nebraska was 9-for-33 on three-pointers.
Guard Aaliyah Nye led the Illini with 23 points. Illinois (6-14, 1-8) hasn’t won in more than one month, and Nebraska has won seven straight games in the series.
— Brent C. Wagner