Nebraska Rallies in Fourth Quarter for Dramatic Tournament Win

INDIANAPOLIS — Freshman Britt Prince scored a team-high 17 points and dished out five assists to lead 10th-seeded Nebraska to a dramatic 74-70 comeback win over seventh-seeded Illinois in the second round of the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The win marked Nebraska’s fourth victory in its last five games, improving their overall record to 21-10 (10-8 Big Ten) and propelling them into the quarterfinals against the No. 2 seed UCLA on Friday. The matchup against the AP No. 4-ranked Bruins (27-2) is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. (CT) with live coverage on the Big Ten Network.

Illinois, meanwhile, slipped to 21-9 (11-7 Big Ten) after suffering their second loss to the Cornhuskers this season, as Nebraska avenged a 77-68 defeat on February 16 in Champaign.

In a tightly contested game, the Huskers overcame a nine-point deficit in the third quarter. After trailing 56-47, Prince hit back-to-back jumpers that tied the game at 65 with just over two minutes remaining. Petrie, a sophomore forward from Gold Coast, Australia, then gave Nebraska the lead for good with a three-pointer from the left wing that made it 68-65.

Genesis Bryant led Illinois with a game-high 20 points, scoring 17 of those in the second half. She cut the Nebraska lead to one with two free throws but was unable to seal the comeback. Petrie responded with a timely layup following vital offensive rebounds from Nissley, which pushed the lead to 72-67.

Prince capped the victory by making two free throws in the final seconds. Alongside Prince, Petrie finished with 11 points while Nissley contributed eight points and seven rebounds.

Overall, Nebraska’s bench proved to be a significant factor, outscoring Illinois’ reserves 22-7. Freshman Petra Bozan provided a lift inside, adding 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

For the game, Nebraska shot 49.1% (28-of-57) from the field, including 50% (8-of-16) from three-point range. They also excelled from the free-throw line, converting 83.3% (10-of-12), with a perfect performance in the pivotal fourth quarter.

Illinois shot 45.6% (26-of-57) from the field and dominated the turnover battle, causing 15 that led to more shots attempted. Despite Kendall Bostic‘s 19 points and Adalia McKenzie’s 16 points with 10 assists, the Illini could not withstand Nebraska’s late surge.

In an action-packed first half, Illinois quickly jumped out to a 9-0 lead, but Nebraska responded with a 7-0 run. The two teams went into the halftime break with Illinois leading 32-30.

Despite trailing at various points throughout the game, Nebraska managed to take its first lead of the night early in the second half thanks to a three-pointer from Nissley. However, the lead changed hands multiple times until Illinois secured a 56-49 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

With momentum swinging toward the Huskers, they utilized a 25-14 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter to seal the game.