• Box Score: Nebraska 75, Wisconsin 69
* * *
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin was statistically the worst Big Ten opponent the Nebraska women’s basketball team has faced so far. But UW’s spirited shooting and switching defense brought out the best in Lindsey Moore.
The NU junior scored a game-high 28 points — including 13 of the Huskers’ last 24 — to help the Huskers hold off the Badgers 75-69 at the Kohl Center.
As Wisconsin’s defense held Nebraska sophomore Jordan Hooper to a season-low 10 points — and ended her 26-game streak with a 3-pointer — Moore again took advantage, repeatedly slashing into the lane for layups and jumpers. She had two consecutive three-point plays to turn a 61-56 deficit into a 62-61 lead.
Head coach Connie Yori said on her postgame radio show that Moore took a couple of questionable shots, but had little choice but to take over.
“Lindsey did her thing,” Yori said. “And she made a lot of plays.”
The game was a series of opposing runs; Nebraska — now 15-1 overall and 4-0 in the league — ended with a decisive 10-3 spurt. Moore hit two free throws with three minutes left to give NU a 67-66 lead, and freshman Emily Cady hit a layup at the 2:10 mark for a 69-66 advantage.
Wisconsin (5-12 and 1-4) cut the lead to 71-69, but officials whistled UW forward Anya Covington for traveling with 18 seconds left. The Huskers hit four free throws to ice a game that Yori expected to be trouble.
“People love to chalk up wins before they occur,” Yori said. “We knew this was going to be a battle. We knew how hard this was going to be.”
The Badgers were perhaps even a little tougher than Yori bargained for, switching up their game plan from what Yori’s staff had seen on film. UW twice led by 11 points in the first half, including a 38-27 lead with 1:24 remaining before halftime.
NU redshirt freshman guard Rebecca Woodberry answered with consecutive 3-pointers. Woodberry, who left the game late with a twisted ankle, hit all five of her shot attempts — including four 3-pointers — to finish with 14 points.
“We were a little slow to get started,” Moore said. “We weren’t hitting as many shots from the perimeter as we would have hoped. And (Woodberry) came in and opened that up for us. They had to respect her from the 3-point line.”
Wisconsin was hot from beyond the arc, too, hitting nine 3-pointers. But over the last 9:05 of the game, the Badgers didn’t make any and scored just eight points overall.
“We got some kids who’ve got some good toughness,” Yori said. “And the game’s 40 minutes.”
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
RSS Feeds