Huskers Roll to Win Over Rutgers; Start Big 10 Tourney Wednesday

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(Britt Prince photo courtesy Nebraska Athletics)

 

 

Lincoln Britt Prince just missed a triple-double with 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds to go with eight assists, as Nebraska rolled to a 93-52 women’s basketball win over Rutgers on Saturday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

With their second straight victory, the Huskers improved to 18-11 overall while closing Big Ten Conference play with a 7-11 mark. Ten of Nebraska’s losses on the season came to current NCAA NET Top 25 teams.

Nebraska left no doubt on Saturday, building a 17-point halftime lead before outscoring the Scarlet Knights 30-12 in an eventful third quarter. Rutgers finished the season 9-20 and 1-17 in the Big Ten.

Amiah Hargrove led four Huskers in double figures with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while Jessica Petrie pitched in 16 points and six rebounds off the bench. Petra Bozan contributed 12 points and six rebounds of her own, as Nebraska outscored the Scarlet Knights, 46-24 in the paint.

For the game, Nebraska hit 33-of-67 shots from the field, including 10-of-28 threes (.357). The Huskers also connected on 17-of-23 free throws (.739).

The Huskers dominated the possession game, winning the turnover battle 22-5, while winning the war of the boards, 38-27, including 13 offensive rebounds.

Nebraska held Rutgers to 19-of-47 shooting, but the Scarlet Knights did hit 7-of-21 threes, including 5-of-12 shooting from long range by Kaylah Ivey.

Zachara Perkins led Rutgers with a career-high 23 points, while Nene Ndiaye put three Scarlet Knights in double figures with 10 points. Ndiaye was at the center of the events in the third quarter, as she was called for a pair of flagrant fouls on the offensive end in a 35-second span that helped fuel a 13-0 Nebraska run in a span of just three minutes.

Nebraska dominated the possession game in the first half, winning the turnover war, 14-2, while outscoring the Scarlet Knights 20-0 off those turnovers.

The Huskers also outrebounded Rutgers, 18-16, including 7-1 on the offensive boards in the half, as Nebraska outscored the Scarlet Knights 7-0 in second-chance points.

Prince led the Big Red onslaught with six points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals in 17 first-half minutes.

She was one of six Huskers with six or more points, led by nine points on 4-of-6 shooting from Hargrove, while Callin Hake added eight points – all in the second quarter – on her senior day.

Petrie also pitched in eight points and five rebounds off the bench, while Logan Nissley and Bozan each added six points.

NCAA NET 25 Nebraska will take on Indiana in the opening game of the 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis on Wednesday, March 3 at 2:30 p.m. (CT).

The Huskers (18-11, 7-11 Big Ten), who earned the No. 12 seed in the loaded 15-team conference tournament field, will face the No. 13 seed Hoosiers (17-13, 6-12) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse – the home of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and WNBA’s Indiana Fever.

Nebraska is one of nine teams in the Big Ten Tournament field that ended the regular season ranked in the NET Top 25, while all 15 teams in the tournament were in the top 80 in the official NCAA NET rankings through games Feb. 28.

The Huskers head to Indianapolis after posting back-to-back wins at Washington (66-65, Feb. 22) and Rutgers (93-52, Feb. 28) to close the regular season.