Nebrasketball: Dominant Second Half Leads to 79-56 Victory

With his parents in attendance, Tim Miles didn’t disappoint.

Miles Jacket Tracker: 19:27 (right after Oklahoma State’s first shot)

The Huskers looked rusty out of the gate, committing turnovers and allowing offensive rebounds. That’s going to happen when a team goes seven days without a game, so maybe it’s a good thing conference games happen so frequently.

Also, it only took Jon Crispin four minutes to comment on Isaiah Roby’s “potential” and “significance to this Huskers team”. Will it ever end?

Things started to pick up, but only because of James Palmer Jr., making his first two threes and converting an and-one. The team looked sluggish for most of the first half, maybe that’s rust, or maybe the sickness going around impacted the team more than we knew.

The rest of the half went in Oklahoma’s State favor, except for the last three minutes, when Nebraska made four straight threes to go on a 12-2 run. Isaac Copeland made two, Palmer one, then after forcing an offensive foul, Glynn Watson Jr. took the final three as time expired (well like, two seconds, but still cool). Palmer finished the first half with 16 points, as the score was 33-30 at the break.

The second half started in a weird way, Watson shot two technical free throws after the Oklahoma State head coach, Mike Boynton, said something to the refs during intermission.

After those two free throws, Nebraska’s defensive energy rose to a whole other level, starting with the switch to the 1-3-1 defense. Thomas Allen and Palmer had back to back steals, resulting in an Oklahoma State timeout and a 6-0 run for the Huskers.

If Palmer can continue to shoot lights out, 1st Team All-Big Ten should be no problem. For his future in the NBA, his stock rises as his three point shooting percentage rises. Scouts said his shooting has been something he needs to work on, and it looks like he took that heart.

Ultimately, the trouble the 1-3-1 defense caused Oklahoma State and Palmer’s ability to get fouled won the Huskers this game, winning 79-56. After shaking off the rust, Nebraska looked like an AP Top 25 team, and should be one tomorrow.

Palmer finished with 29 points, Copeland 16, and Allen 14. Watson and Roby played well, but didn’t contribute on offense as much as they usually do. The next couple of matchups in December should be a breeze, and then conference play starts up. Let’s hope for a rank tomorrow!