As the IU players stood across the court Sunday and faced the band with arms around each other’s waists, they sang the IU alma mater while Nebraska became the fifth Big Ten team of a higher standing to walk in defeat to the locker room.
Nebraska entered with a one-game lead on IU in the Big Ten standings, joined four schools that faced IU with a better conference record and failed to leave the court with a victory.
Dominating the Cornhuskers 59-47 not only pushed the Hoosiers’ record to 11-0 in Assembly Hall this season, but it also improved their conference record to 7-5. IU is now tied with Nebraska for fifth place in the Big Ten.
“It’s something that’s definitely a goal for us: to compete with everyone in the Big Ten and be a team that has a little bit of say,” sophomore forward Amanda Cahill said. “I think we’re on our way there, but we’re just trying to stay focused, stay together and take it one game at a time.”
Nebraska 6-foot-4 freshman Jessica Shepard entered the game averaging 20 points and eight rebounds per game and came off a 35-point, 20-rebound outburst against Michigan. Thanks to Cahill and Anderson in the post, though, the freshman put up a double-double — 18 points and 13 rebounds — but did not hurt the Hoosiers as much as she did the Wolverines.
Aside from Shepard, 6-foot-5 Nebraska junior center Allie Havers had 10 points but just 6 rebounds, and both players committed four personal fouls.
“I thought Jenn Anderson did a really good job of making her uncomfortable,” IU Coach Teri Moren said. “She had 18, but it was a well-earned 18 because of Jenn’s focus and what she had to do to keep her at bay.”
After shooting 48.3 percent from the field in a victory at home against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the team continued its homestand against Nebraska converting just 26.3 percent of its first-half shots.
Junior guard Alexis Gassion led the way with 11 points on 15 shot attempts.
But where the shooting was lacking, the Hoosiers’ ball movement and defense made up for it. Opening shot attempts on the inside penetrated guards to make passes and provided opportunities for more offensive possessions. The shots just weren’t going down.
“There’s an awful lot of confidence on our sideline,” Moren said. “It’s just a few early turnovers and mistakes that are uncharacteristic.”
IU responded after halftime, though, as it went on an early 9-4 run and forced Nebraska to take a timeout. The Hoosiers wouldn’t allow the Huskers to gain any momentum, outscoring Nebraska 15-11 in the third quarter. IU didn’t allow more than 13 points in an individual quarter in the win.
Cahill, with 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Buss, with 17 points and 11 rebounds, both had double-doubles for the second consecutive game, while Gassion added 15 points in the win.
“I thought it was pretty good,” Moren said about the IU defense. “I didn’t think we could outdo the Michigan State performance, but I thought today, 40 minutes of zone was uncharacteristic of me and my staff. But we did a tremendous job.”
The turnover battle, 26-14, favored the Hoosiers, and the rebounding battle, 45-41, did as well. This led to what Moren said won the game for IU: defense.
“Tonight we struggled offensively,” Moren said. “Credit Nebraska for that because that’s a really good team. We relied heavily on what we were doing defensively, and as I said to the kids, that’s why we won the game.”
