January 11, 2015

----------------------------- 
             1   2   total 
Illinois    22  21    43 
NEBRASKA    28  25    53 
----------------------------- 

Lincoln, Neb. — Nebraska put together its best defensive effort in the Tim Miles era, holding Illinois to 27 percent shooting in a 53-43 win over the Fighting Illini on Sunday.

Nebraska, which has won two straight since a 0-2 Big Ten start, held Illinois to 15-of-55 shooting, including 6-of-29 from 3-point range. The shooting percentage was the lowest by a Husker foe in conference play in over nine years.

Terran Petteway led the Huskers (10-6, 2-2 Big Ten) with 18 points and four assists, while Shavon Shields added 11 points, eight rebounds and matched his career high with five assists for the victors.

Malcolm Hill and Kendrick Nunn led Illinois (11-6, 1-3 Big Ten) with 12 points apiece, while Only Aaron Cosby had more than three points among the eight Illini players who saw action.

The Huskers turned in an outstanding defensive effort in the first half, holding the Illini to 28 percent shooting, including 3-of-17 from 3-point range in the opening half.

Nebraska got a solid half from senior David Rivers, who had six points and five boards in the opening half, and junior Shavon Shields, who had seven of his 11 points in the opening 20 minutes. Rivers finished with eight points and seven rebounds, as NU out-rebounded Illinois, 38-30.

The Huskers, who shot 41 percent in the opening 20 minutes, used a 9-1 run and strong defense to overcome an early deficit, taking an 18-13 lead after a Moses Abraham putback with 9:49 left in the half. Nebraska held the Illini to just one field goal for nearly seven minutes.

Trailing 23-16 after a Rivers putback, the Illini ran off six straight points, pulling to within 23-22 after a Nnanna Egwu putback with 2:05 left. Nebraska took over, as Shields hit a long jumper to end the run before Tarin Smith's 3-point play with 1:12 left gave Nebraska six-point halftime lead.

The Huskers got some long-range shooting from Petteway, as the junior drained a pair of 3-pointers in the first 3:10 of the half, extending Nebraska's lead to double figures at 34-24.

Illinois eventually trimmed the Husker lead to 36-29 after a Malcolm Hill basket, but a layup from Walter Pitchford and a driving hoop from Petteway pushed the margin to 11, at 40-29, with 11:06 left and forced an Illinois timeout.

NU held the Illini to just two field goals in the first nine minutes of the second half, but the Illini chipped away, as a 3-pointer from Cosby and a putback from Maverick Morgan cut the deficit to 40-34 with 9:50 left.

Shields would hit a jumper to push the lead back to eight, but Nebraska went nearly four minutes without a basket before Tarin Smith ended the dryspell with a mid-range jumper to make it 44-36 with 5:04 left. Smith had five points and a career high six rebounds off the bench.

Nebraska would get some breathing room with a Petteway 3-pointer from the corner with 3:29 left, but Hill came right back on the subsequent possession to make it 49-41. Nebraska's defense came to the rescue, as the Huskers forced seven straight misses, and NU was able to extend the lead at the foul line in the final two minutes on free throws from Petteway and Shields.

The Huskers return to action on Thursday night, as Nebraska travels to No. 4 Wisconsin. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. central and the game will be televised on ESPN2 and carried on the Husker Sports Radio Network.