Field Level Media
Jan 18, 2018
James Palmer Jr. scored a game-high 19 points, and Nebraska won for the seventh time in nine games by rolling past No. 23 Michigan 72-52 on Thursday at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb.
Isaiah Roby had 14 points and Isaac Copeland added 13 for the Cornhuskers (14-7 overall, 5-3 Big Ten). Anton Gill chipped in 10 points and Glynn Watson Jr. contributed eight, as Nebraska's starting five scored 64 of the team's points.
Charles Matthews' 15 points led Michigan (16-5, 5-3), which lost for just the second time in 11 games. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman added nine points but shot 3-for-11 from the field. Forward Moritz Wagner, who scored a combined 45 points in the Wolverines' previous two games, was held to two points on 1-for-5 shooting.
Nebraska shot 55.3 percent (26-for-47) from the field while Michigan shot 37.5 percent (21-for-56). The Wolverines had twice as many turnovers (12) than assists (six).
Copeland scored 10 first-half points, lifting Nebraska to a 32-21 lead at the break. The Cornhuskers shot 60 percent from the field and held the Wolverines to 32 percent shooting while forcing nine turnovers. Michigan recorded just two assists on its eight baskets.
The Wolverines took their last lead at 12-10 on an Isaiah Livers' 3-pointer. Nebraska responded with an 8-0 spurt that began with a Roby layup and finished on a Palmer layup. Palmer also gave the Cornhuskers their first double-digit lead at 24-14 on another layup.
The Wolverines couldn't make much headway in the second half. Matthews made a layup with 17:51 remaining to pull them within eight at 35-27.
Michigan then went without a field goal for over five minutes while the Cornhuskers reeled off a 10-1 run. Roby got it started with a layup and Gill finished it off with a 3-pointer.
Jordan Poole's dunk with 8:40 remaining made it a 12-point game at 51-39 but Palmer answered with two free throws and a 3-pointer.
Nebraska maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way. Wolverines coach John Beilein pulled his starters with five minutes remaining.
--Field Level Media