It wasn't a game that will be remembered for it's beauty. In many ways it was one of the more painful games for basketball fans to watch. If you weren't a fan of either team, you likely would have turned it off all together. But if you stuck with it, you saw a young Nebraska team fight through some of the winter doldrums and a Miami Hurricanes defense that causes teams all sorts of problems.
You may remember watching the NCAA tournament last season and seeing an exciting Hurricanes team led by super-soph Shane Larkin slice and dice their way to the Sweet 16. They were the first team not from the state of North Carolina to win the regular season and tournament championships in the ACC. But this is not that team. This is a team that only saw one of it's top seven scorers return from last season and has struggled to a 5-4 start this season. They didn't lose their fourth game until February 23rd last year.
The Huskers were able to take advantage of that inexperience, behind a vocal crowd of 12,579 at Pinnacle Bank Arena with their best defensive effort of the season, holding the Canes to 13 points and 24% shooting in the first half and only 49 for the game. NU didn't exactly light the nets on fire in their own right. The Huskers struggled from the field, shooting 32% in the first half and only tallieing 22 points.
Both teams were better in the second half, and probably could have been so by accident, but the Huskers were able to ride their nine point half time lead, stretching it to as large as 16 points, 36-20. Miami would make one last charge at the Huskers, going on an 11-0 run on the back of three consecutive three pointers to cut the Husker lead to five. Miami was never able to get any closer from there. The Huskers pulled away once again, maintaing a lead and never wee seriously threatened down the stretch.
Nebraska was led by Terran Petteway and Walter Pitchford who contributed 14 and 13 points respectively. They also got a solid effort from Shavon Shields who had nine points and seven boards of his own. The Huskers will head to Omaha on Sunday for their first true road game of the season and their biggest test to date as they take on in-state rival Creighton.