Huskers power past SELU in 87-35 blowout

Nebraska didn’t face much resistance at all in its 69-point rout of Mississippi Valley State to start the season, and Sunday’s home game vs. Southeastern Louisiana didn’t prove much more difficult.

Senior guard James Palmer Jr. scored a game-high 17 points and senior Glynn Watson followed up with 16, as the Huskers broke things open with a 22-point run in the first half and never looked back in an 87-35 blowout victory.

“What I like about the team is they were able to play with a mentality and show the versatility to defend the right way,” head coach Tim Miles said. “I think we’ve been OK defensively… I think we’ve shown that mindset and that consistency, and certainly, you want to see that.”

Nebraska got off to a bit of a sleepy start, missing its first four 3-point attempts and falling behind 7-4 after the first three minutes. But the Huskers woke up in a hurry and came back with a 22-0 run to go up 26-7.

That eventually turned into a dominating 52-16 halftime lead, as NU shot 62.1 percent from the field, scored 30 points in the paint, and had 20 points off of 16 Lion turnovers.

Palmer had 15 of his 17 points in the first half, while SELU shot just 25 percent (7-of-28) from the field.

“I think we’ve held both teams (we’ve played) to under 40 (points), so that’s really good,” junior forward Isaiah Roby said. “Just knowing that we have guys that can guard multiple positions, that’s going to make it really hard for teams to score on us. I like where we’re at right now.”

In all, six Huskers – and all five starters – got to double figures in scoring in the second half, and Nebraska led by as many as 53 before settling on a 52-point victory.

Roby finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, three steals, two blocks, and two assists, while senior forward Isaac Copeland had 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field.

Freshman forward Brady Heiman came off the bench to score 10 points with five boards, and Nana Akenten chipped in nine points while going 3-of-4 from downtown.

“Just how to keep playing hard and kind of having the mentality that no matter what the score is, you’ll always see us still giving effort on both ends…” Copeland said of what the team has learned over the first two games.

The Huskers will return to action on Wednesday night for their first real test of the season when Seton Hall comes to town as part of the annual Gavitt Tipoff Games. The game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start and will be televised on BTN.

1. Like the 3, love the rim

Part of Nebraska’s brief slow start was falling back on some low-percentage 3-point attempts when Southeastern Louisiana opened up with some aggressive on-ball defense. The game completely changed when the Huskers remembered they were the bigger, stronger, and more talented team and attacked the rim. Nebraska shot 8-of-25 from behind the arc on the day after starting 2-for-12 in the first half, and it was 20-of-26 for 42 points in the paint. These lopsided matchups pose an interesting dilemma for NU, as it has to shoot the 3-pointer at a high rate to maximize its full potential, yet it’s had such success going to the rim. The perimeter offense needs to be more consistent, but when Nebraska’s shooting is off, getting the scoring going inside then out is a must.

2. Allen took a step forward

Having emerged as Nebraska’s clear fifth starter alongside the “Core Four,” expectations were high for Allen to make a big jump in his sophomore campaign. With 10 points, five assists, and three steals in 34 minutes of work, Allen had one of his best all-around games yet as a Husker on Sunday. Not only was he extremely active on the offensive end, but Allen also brought excellent energy in his perimeter defense. “He’s getting better every day,” Copeland said. “He’s playing with more composure. It’s kind of hard to find your role and your shots right now since we’re winning by so many points, but he’s been doing a great job.”

3. New defensive wrinkles shake things up

One of the best advantages of having a lineup full of athleticism and versatility is the ability to play a variety of defenses that best suit certain game situations. Nebraska utilized that to perfect on Sunday, busting out some new full-court press and zone looks as well as its staple 1-3-1 zone to completely shift the game. After a slow first three minutes, the Huskers went to a press/zone look and ended up getting 16 straight stops. Look for NU to continue to rely on more zone this year, especially the 1-3-1 with Palmer at the top, to shake things up defensively and protect players from some cheap fouls like might get playing man-to-man.