Glynn Watson Jr. guards Creighton's Ty-Shon Alexander.

Nebraska 94
Creighton 75

Dec. 8, 2018
Pinnacle Bank Arena • Lincoln, NE

 

                1  2
Creighton      34 41
NEBRASKA       47 47

 

All five starters scored in double figures as No. 24/25 Nebraska used a balanced and efficient offensive attack to cruise to a 94-75 victory over Creighton Saturday evening in front of 15,950 fans at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Nebraska scored 47 points in each half while putting up the third-highest point total in its 52 all-time meetings with Creighton. The Huskers, who led by as many as 22, were up 13 at the half and Creighton never got closer than nine in the second half. Nebraska, which improved to 8-2 with the win, earned its 17th consecutive home win, as the Huskers have won each of their six home games this season by at least 15 points.

James Palmer Jr. paced the Husker offense with 30 points, his second career 30-point effort. Palmer hit 9-of-12 shots from the field, including a career-high six 3-pointers, and he was a perfect 6-of-6 from the line. Thomas Allen added a career-high 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Isaiah Roby chipped in 15 points and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds. Glynn Watson Jr. added 13 points and a game-high five assists, while Isaac Copeland scored 11 points.

Nebraska shot 53.3 percent from the field, hitting 32 of its 60 shots for its third-most efficient performance of the season. That included knocking down 14-of-27 3-pointers for a season-high 51.9 percent from behind the arc. NU also outrebounded Creighton by four.

Creighton (6-3) was led by Mitch Ballock, who had a career-high-tying 23 points. Ballock was 7-of-10 from beyond the arc – including hitting each of his first six attempts – but the Huskers held him scoreless over the final 14:13. Davion Mintz (15) and Ty-Shon Alexander (10) were also in double figures for the Bluejays, but Nebraska limited Alexander to just one 3-pointer after the sophomore had hit multiple 3-pointers in every game this season.

Palmer got the Huskers going early, as he connected on his first three 3-pointers before Allen and Roby keyed an early 7-0 run, combining for all seven points as Nebraska built a 16-9 lead.

The Huskers led 18-10 when Palmer picked up his second foul, but the Huskers built the lead with the All-American candidate on the bench. NU went on a 19-4 surge, building a 21-point lead at 37-16 after a Nana Akenten 3-pointer with 7:18 left in the first half.

Nebraska led 47-26 after a Watson jumper, but the Bluejays made a run, outscoring the Huskers 8-0 to pull within 13 at the break.

Behind the shooting of Ballock, Creighton continued to chip away, pulling to within 51-42 after his sixth 3-pointer of the evening, but a pair of Roby free throws and Palmer’s 3-pointer pushed the lead back to 55-42 with 16:35 left.

Nebraska continued to extend the lead and led 77-60 before the visitors made one last run, Creighton ran off seven straight points to cut the deficit to 10 on 3-pointer from Mintz, but the answered once again. Creighton was within 81-70 before Isaac Copeland’s 3-pointer started a 13-2 run capped by Palmer’s sixth 3-pointer with 1:22 remaining.

The Huskers take a break for finals before traveling to Sioux Falls, S.D. for a matchup with Oklahoma State on Sunday, Dec. 16. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. and will be carried by the Husker Sports Network and televised on BTN.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.


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