WHO: Nebraska Cornhuskers (15-8 overall, 7-5 Big Ten)
WHEN: 12:00 PM CT (Sunday, February 11, 2024)
WHERE: Pinnacle Bank Arena (Lincoln, Nebraska)
TV: FOX
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network
ONLINE: https://www.foxsports.com/live
MOBILE: https://www.foxsports.com/live
FOLLOW: @IowaAwesome | @IowaWBB | @IowaonBTN
Just over two weeks ago, Iowa beat Nebraska 92-73 in Carver. The game wasn't as easy as the large margin of victory might suggest. With 1:54 to go until halftime, Iowa trailed 31-27. The offense looked as out of sorts as it had all season for most of that first half.
Then Iowa put together a 9-0 run to end the half, and largely controlled the second half. Caitlin Clark was the catalyst of Iowa's offensive outbreak, scoring 31 of her 38 points in the game in the final 20 minutes and change.
Nebraska has been up and down since its loss to Iowa. On the positive end, the Huskers beat Michigan at Michigan, and also beat Purdue by 14 at home. On the negative end, the Huskers were terrible against Rutgers and gave the Scarlet Knights their first Big Ten win of the season. Even worse, the game was at Nebraska. The Huskers couldn't protect their home court against one of the worst teams the conference has seen in years.
Stats from this preview are from HerHoopStats.
Top Players
6'3" forward Alexis Markowski is Nebraska's best player. She's averaging 16.5 ppg and 10.1 rpg, while shooting 52.2% on 2-point attempts and 25.9% from behind the arc. Markowski had 17 points and 11 rebounds in her first game against Iowa, but also had 7 turnovers.
5'9" point guard Jaz Shelley is a solid second scorer. She's averaging 12.2 ppg, 5.1 apg, 4.3 rpg, and 1.8 spg. She shoots just 43.5% on 2-point attempts and 32.8% on 3-point tries. Shelley scored 19 against Iowa the first time around, thanks largely to a 5-of-11 shooting effort from three.
6'2" freshman forward Natalie Potts is Nebraska's final player averaging double figures. She's averaging 10.4 ppg and 5.4 rpg, while shooting 64.8% inside the arc and 21.7% from deep. Iowa did a good job containing Potts in the first game, as she only scored five points and grabbed two rebounds in the game.
Play Style
Nebraska averages 70.5 possessions per 40 minutes, which ranks 179th nationally. That's a significant change from Iowa's past two games against Penn State and Maryland. Both the Lady Lions and Terrapins are among the fastest teams in the country, but the Huskers will try to play at a slower pace.
Offensively, Nebraska averages 73.6 points per game, which ranks 49th nationally. The Huskers have shot much better on 2-point attempts (49.8%, 56th) than on 3-point tries (32.2%, 129th). The Huskers are a strong offensive rebounding team. They average 13.7 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks 44th. They also share the basketball well, as their 16.2 assists per game ranks 38th.
Defensively, Nebraska has been surrendering 63.0 points per game, which ranks 128th. Nebraska has allowed opponents to shoot 47.2% on 2-point attempts, which ranks 258th. The Huskers are much better at guarding the three-point line, allowing teams to shoot 28.3% from deep, which ranks 54th. The Huskers don't generate many steals (6.7 per game, 238th) or blocks (1.8 per game, 337th).
X-Factor
Play like second half Iowa from the start. Iowa's mistakes in the first half against Nebraska were largely self-inflicted. The Hawks weren't playing well and they allowed that to frustrate them. They took bad shots and forced passes trying to go on a run as quickly as possible.
In the second half, the Hawkeyes played more freely and were able to get better shots and run their offense. Once Iowa got going, Nebraska couldn't keep pace.
History Maybe?
Clark is 39 points away from breaking Kelsey Plum's NCAAW Division I scoring record. if there was ever a team for her to break it against, it's Nebraska. In Clark's career, she has averaged a staggering 34.8 points per game against the Huskers. She's never scored fewer than 30 points against them. That said, Clark has only hit or exceeded 39 points against the Huskers twice.
After the Penn State win, Coach Bluder said her preference is for Clark to break the record at home in Carver. Clark's play in the second half of the Penn State game seemed to show a similar preference. Clark went into facilitator mode in the second half, preferring to dish to Hannah Stuelke and aid her monster game instead of looking to score more herself.
If Iowa needs Clark to score 39 (or more) against Nebraska to win, she'll certainly try to do just that. But if Iowa is able to build a comfortable lead, she may start facilitating again so that Iowa fans get another Carver memory on Thursday.
