Notes & quotes: Delaware State @ Nebraska

Category: Men's basketball
Robey and Palmer

Nebraska Postgame Notes
• Nebraska shot 51.7 percent, marking the second-straight game NU shot over 50 percent from the field. It is the first time in 2017-18 NU has shot 50 percent or better in consecutive games
• Nebraska scored 85 points, the sixth time this season NU has scored 80 or more points. NU is 6-0 in those contests. 
• Nebraska’s 13 three-pointers were not only a season high (previous high 11 on two occasions, most recently vs. UTSA on Wednesday), but the most in Tim Miles’ six seasons at Nebraska. The last time NU hit 13 three-pointers was at Minnesota during the 2011-12 season.
• Nebraska’s 24 assists were also a season-high (previous high 23 vs. Marist on Nov. 24) and the most in Tim Miles’ six seasons. It was the most by a Husker team since the 2011-12 season, when NU had 24 assists against Rhode Island on Nov. 20, 2011.
• Freshman Thomas Allen reached double figures for the second time in three games, finishing with a career-high 14 points (previous high was 13 vs. Kansas). He had 10 first-half points, including a buzzer beater from 35 feet out. 
• Anton Gill dished out a career-high six assists, doubling his previous high of three on three previous occasions this season. Gill also finished with 14 points in 18 minutes off the bench. 
• James Palmer Jr. has now been in double figure in 13-of-14 contests, finishing with a game-high 18 points. 
• Thorir Thorbjarnarson had a career-high six points, hitting 2-of-3 from three-point range. In all, seven Huskers had at least one 3-pointer.
• After the game, Nebraska Coach Tim Miles announced Tanner Borchardt will be placed on scholarship for the spring semester. Borchardt, a 6-foor-8 forward from Gothenberg, Neb., has played nine games as a reserve post player.

Head Coach Tim Miles and Junior Forward Tanner Borchardt
After the game, Head Coach Tim Miles announced Tanner Borchardt was offered a scholarship for the spring semester

Junior Forward Tanner Borchardt
On receiving a scholarship:
“Well, Santa brought me a gift to the locker room… I got a Christmas cookie that said congrats and then got a shower full of teammates for about a minute. It was kind of a jump-and-huddle. What a blessing.”

Head Coach Tim Miles
On Tanner Borchardt receiving a scholarship: 
“It was well deserved. Tanner has helped us in games. He’s changed his body. put himself in a situation where I feel confident when we do need him. Now, we’ve been playing him smaller rather than bigger, but Big Ten is a different beast too so we are proud of him and happy to ease the load a little bit for the family.”

On Borchardt’s development:
“When Tanner joined us last year and was with us this summer, I think this summer finally I saw him ‘turning the corners’ so to speak, in terms of feeling more comfortable and confident. He and I talked about this, his goal was to get a scholarship for the second semester and it was open. He more than earned it. As I watched and developed him, I have great confidence in him and still think that for any game, I’m ready to put him in.”

Borchardt on his athletic development over the summer:
“I could tell that the way my body was changing, the way I was moving on the court, the way that the coaches were talking to me and the confidence that they had in me during the summer. Just the way the coaches looked at me or how I looked at them, something clicked and I really thought I had that shot to earn the scholarship and contribute to the team.”

Borchardt on if he expected to earn a scholarship:
“No, I would never have imagined how it happened — the way it happened and I never imagined that it would. It’s such a blessing to be in this position. To leave the team and get the chance to come back, I thank Coach Miles again. He’s blessed me with many opportunities, I’m happy for that.”

Head Coach Tim Miles
Opening Statement:
“These Christmas are really difficult and we’ve been through it and have one more to go. We’ll be locked in and we’ll find guys that can do it and tonight we did. We had gotten just enough guys that were locked in that. It’s hard but we have more depth. I thought that Isaiah Roby did a good job and earned his minutes. Anton Gill was really good for us defensively and offensively. Thomas Allen, I thought was good. Some nights when guys just aren’t quite there, as a coach, I feel like it is necessary to send a message. Tom has to prove to me that he can play. If somebody is struggling, or whatever, I’m going to run him out there. I know Anton can do it and Isaiah and all those guys. I thought Jordy had better minutes tonight and Palmer was Palmer . Palmer will do something wild and crazy one minute and go get you five points and two possessions the next.”

On Thorir Thorbjarnarson playing at the end of the second half:
“That was important to me. Eight of his family members came here from Iceland. So to be able to get him in the game and then he makes those two threes is pretty good stuff. That second was deep, I thought I was going to be in the way. It was a neat night that way.”

On Jordy Tshimanga’s performance:
“I think he’s carrying a burden as to why he looks slow. He feels and makes better plays and gets a blocked shot here or an easier layup there. If he would just exhale on the free-throw line maybe, just relax a little bit, but play harder. We’re sticking with him and I believe in Jordy and I think he is going to come through this. We are going to need him in conference play.”

Senior Guard Anton Gill
On staying focused:
“It’s hard but the good teams do it so there’s no excuses. You have to find a way to keep yourself going and to stay locked in. If we want to be considered one of the good teams, we have got to do it.”

Junior Guard James Palmer Jr.
On moving forward:
“I think we are in a good position right now being 9-5. We have got to go into the new year with more intensity, and into the next game, as we get into conference play.”

Sophomore Forward Isaiah Roby
On atmosphere and relying on the bench:
“The fans still came out so it was still a good environment, but obviously without the students there it’s not as loud. It was up to the bench to get the people on the court going. I think we did a good job with that.”

Freshman Guard Thomas Allen Jr.
On his shot at the end of the first half: 
“I knew it was going in. I just knew it.”

 

Delaware State Head Coach Keith Walker
Opening Statement:
“I thought we started out a little slow. I don’t know if it was the atmosphere, because this is probably the largest crowd we’ve played against all year. I don’t know if that threw the young guys off a bit, but we started out a little slow. But once we figured out that we could play a little bit with them, I think they did a much better job the second half. Because of the deficit we built the first half, we weren’t able to overcome it.”

On defensive effort against the Huskers:
“I think that we started switching up the defense to try to confuse them because they are such a great transition team. And we were switching up the defense to try to slow them down a little bit, and I think that helped us until they made an adjustment. They shot the ball awfully well. I think they shot the ball very well both halves and that’s hard to overcome. If you’re shooting the ball that well, you’re going to beat a lot of teams.”

On Huskers offensive ability:
“They really shot the ball, moved the ball well, and they did a great job executing their game plan and what they wanted to do. We were always on the offensive trying to counter and we really didn’t get comfortable until the second half. By that time, the deficit was a bit too much to overcome. I think at one point they had us down 22, but when we cut the lead to half of that, then they go on another short shooting spree. I’m impressed with the way Nebraska played, and I think they’re going to be okay.”

 

Source: Nebraska Athletics