LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Chanting Nebraska fans wanted 100 points, but there was no need to go for it when the Cornhuskers got the ball back for their final possession and the clock winding down.

Their 98-84 win over Iowa was good enough Saturday night.

“I won’t apologize to the fans for not getting 100 tonight,” James Palmer Jr. said. “It probably would have been great for them, but we got the win, so be happy.”

Palmer scored 28 points, Isaac Copeland added 23 points and 11 rebounds and Nebraska pulled away in the second half.

Nebraska (16-8, 7-4 Big Ten) scored its most points in a conference game since putting up 99 against Kansas State in 2002 when the Huskers were in the Big 12.

“One thing about Iowa is they can lead you down the path to a shootout,” Nebraska coach Tim Miles said. “They play quick, they see an open shot and it’s going up, and you can have a lot of quick possessions. I didn’t know if we could keep up.”

Iowa (11-12, 2-8), which beat Wisconsin on Tuesday, failed to win consecutive conference games for the first time and left coach Fran McCaffery with 399 career wins.

Jordan Bohannon and Tyler Cook each had 24 points to lead the Hawkeyes.

Copeland made his first five shots and scored 13 points in the opening 7 1/2 minutes. Seven different Huskers scored as they closed the half on a 23-10 run to grow a 25-24 lead to 48-34 at half.

“Copeland has looked good shooting it all week,” Miles said.

Iowa got within 56-54 early in the second half, with Bohannon scoring seven quick points, 6-foot-11 freshman Luka Garza making a 3-pointer for his first basket of the game, and Ahmad Wagner scoring on a layup to make it a two-point game.

But Palmer started a decisive 15-4 run that broke open the game again. He made back-to-back 3s and scored nine points during the spurt.

Garza, after making his first 3, tried another one a minute later and only hit backboard. After a couple Iowa turnovers and a foul on Nicholas Baer, Nebraska was in control.

“They’re a talented group that shares the ball,” McCaffery said of Nebraska. “They have a lot of good individual players. I don’t see any selfishness there. Copeland and Palmer, they’re the guys, but they give it up.”

Isaiah Roby added 17 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and two steals for the Huskers, who are alone in fourth place.

Nebraska already has one more conference win than it did last season.

“I like the demeanor of my team, I like the buy-in,” Miles said.

BIG PICTURE

Iowa: The Hawkeyes have struggled on defense all season and came in allowing 82.6 points per game against Big Ten opponents. Saturday was their worst performance. They gave up a season-high 98 points and allowed Nebraska to shoot an opponent season-best 57.7 percent and make 6 of 8 3-pointers in the second half and 11 of 19 (57.9 percent) for the game.

Nebraska: Palmer has been on a tear the last five games, averaging just under 25 points, and big man Jordy Tshimanga scored a season-high 11 points. Tshimanga was away from the team for two games two weeks ago for personal reasons. Miles said he’s come back playing free and loosely.

MEET THE COACHES

Fans were on their feet at halftime when the new Nebraska football assistant coaches walked through the tunnel and were introduced on the court. Head coach Scott Frost was a no-show, however.

QUOTABLE

“We shoot 50 percent from the field, 43 (percent) from 3, 20 assists on nine turnovers against a team that’s up in us. You’re on the road. You come back. There’s a lot of good. And 84 points on the road should keep you in the game. But we give up 98.” — McCaffery.

UP NEXT

Iowa hosts Minnesota on Tuesday.

Nebraska visits Wisconsin on Monday.

— Associated Press —

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — For all the scoring that Isaac Copeland did against Rutgers, it was one of the little things that gave Nebraska a much-needed road win.

Copeland scored 23 points and came up with a clutch rebound in the final minute to lead Nebraska to 60-54 victory Wednesday night.

Copeland’s rebound of a missed 3-pointer by James Palmer Jr. with 54 seconds to play and the Cornhuskers ahead by two points allowed Nebraska to take time off the clock and led to a layup by Glynn Watson Jr. with 29 seconds that all but sealed the game.

“That was big for us,” said Copeland, who hit 9 of 15 shots from the field, including 3 of 5 from long range. “They had the momentum. Palmer got a good shot and he missed it and I got the rebound. Put a fresh 30 on the clock, so it was big for us.

In a game where Rutgers came up a possession or two short, coach Steve Pikiell felt the rebound was a difference maker.

“Huge,” Pikiell said. “Huge. We did a good job. We wanted him taking 3s and not driving it. A long rebound on the 3 and we can’t secure it. There were a couple of guys around the ball, too. Every possession is huge in a one-possession game.”

Palmer added 18 points and Watson Jr. made two clutch layups in the final 2:30 as the Cornhuskers (15-8, 6-4 Big Ten) won their second road game of the season.

Corey Sanders had 14 points to lead Rutgers (12-10, 2-7) but he also was called for an offensive foul on a drive with the Scarlet Knights down by four with 14 seconds to play. Geo Baker and Deshawn Freeman added 10 apiece. Freeland also had a game-high 10 rebounds.

The 23-point performance was Copeland’s second-best game since transferring from Georgetown.

“Isaac is building confidence in his entire game,” Nebraska coach Tom Miles said. “It’s a completely different system in what he is accustomed to. He likes certainty. There is some much uncertainty in the motions and reads and all that stuff. But I think he is doing better and better and better and is more comfortable fitting in and that grows confidence.”

Palmer hit a 3-pointer and Copeland made a three and slammed home a rebound in an 8-0 run early in the second half that gave the Cornhuskers a 41-32 lead with 13:23 to play. They would score three baskets the rest of the way but hung on because Rutgers struggled just as much, finishing the game 22 of 65 from the field, or roughly 34 percent.

Nebraska wasn’t much better, converting roughly 40 percent.

“Neither of us, the two teams, are juggernauts offensively. We’re not going to pretend we’re the Warriors,” Miles quipped.

Isaiah Roby added eight points for Nebraska, including five free throws in the final 8:01.

BIG PICTURE

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers were picked to finish 13th in the league. Their 15-8 record is tied for the best in the program since the 2010-11 squad had the same mark after 23 games. Keep it up and they might get back the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2014.

Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights have struggled shooting all season and it hurt them again. Sanders, Baker and Freeman are the Big 3 and they were a combined 13 of 38 from the field. Starter Issa Thiam was 1 of 10, 0 for 7 from long range. That’s 14 of 48 shooting from four of the five starters. Mamadou Doucoure was 2 of 3 from the field.

UP NEXT

Nebraska: hosts Iowa Saturday.

Rutgers: at Penn State Saturday.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Playing its fourth game in eight days, No. 13 Ohio State seemed vulnerable Monday night. Facing a surprising Nebraska team that upset Michigan last week, the Buckeyes were at risk of letting one slip away.

But that didn’t happen. Keita Bates-Diop, the Big Ten’s top scorer, had 14 of his 20 points in the second half and the surging Buckeyes ground out a 64-59 win over the Cornhuskers for their ninth straight conference victory.

Nebraska (14-8, 5-4 Big Ten), fresh off a 20-point win over then-No. 23 Michigan on Thursday, tied it at 46 with 7:56 left with a 3-pointer from James Palmer Jr., who finished with a career-high 34 points.

The lead changed six times in the next four minutes. A pair of foul shots by Palmer cut Ohio State’s lead to four with 2:19 remaining, but the Cornhuskers couldn’t pull any closer.

Jae’Sean Tate put the Buckeyes (18-4, 9-0 Big Ten) up by six with a layup with 1:02 left, and a pair of foul shots by Kaleb Wesson stretched it to eight. Palmer hit a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left, but Nebraska ran out of time.

“I think mentally we just stayed together,” said Tate, who had 17 points. “There were times you could see we struggled. In the first half, we were getting a little frustrated, but I think we did a great job in the second half, especially later on, coming together and staying together.”

Neither team lit up the scoreboard. Ohio State shot 44 percent to Nebraska’s 39 percent.

SEEING DOUBLE

The secret is out about Bates-Diop, which means he is regularly double-teamed now. That was the case Monday, when the Cornhuskers did a good job of neutralizing him in the first half. Later in the game his teammates figured out how to get him the ball.

“They were doubling me pretty much everywhere,” he said. “Every time I drove someone was coming. Besides slipping screens and just moving around a little bit more with the ball, my teammates found me. It was mostly just layups to the basket.”

BIG PICTURE

Nebraska: The surprising Cornhuskers knocked off a ranked team last week and are a better squad than last season with Palmer carrying the load. But they couldn’t outlast the gritty Buckeyes, who are on a roll.

“I thought we did a lot of good things defensively,” Nebraska coach Tim Miles said. “I was disappointed with our offense in the second half. A game like this you’re only going to get so many chances.”

Ohio State: The Buckeyes may have been fatigued after a rugged traveling schedule and three straight games on the road. But they found a rhythm in the second half and locked down another critical Big Ten win over a scrappy team.

BUCKEYES RISING

Every week seems to bring another pleasant surprise for Ohio State.

By beating Nebraska, the Buckeyes surpassed their win total for all of last season. Earlier in the day, they moved from No. 22 to No. 13 in the AP Top 25, their highest position since 2014.

CARRYING THE LOAD

Palmer was 11 for 18, and 5 for 11 from beyond the 3-point arc. His 34 points led all scorers, and none of his teammates contributed more than five points.

“I’m no rocket scientist, but I’ll tell you what — when James is going like that we just keep getting him the ball and get out of his way,” Miles said. “James is a special player, and I’m glad he’s with us. He’s one of those guys who’s getting a little better every night out.”

NEXT UP

Nebraska: At Rutgers on Wednesday.

Ohio State: Hosts Penn State on Thursday.

— Associated Press —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska got some long-awaited payback against No. 23 Michigan.

James Palmer Jr. scored 19 points, Isaiah Roby had a career-high 14 and the Cornhuskers beat the Wolverines 72-52 on Thursday night for their first win in the series since joining the Big Ten.

They also avenged last year’s 93-57 loss to Michigan — their worst in Lincoln in program history — and handed the Wolverines their most lopsided Big Ten loss in five years.

“It’s good to kind of flip the tables on them,” Roby said. “It was a big game for us, for sure.”

Nebraska (14-7, 5-3), which needed Palmer’s 3-pointer to beat last-place Illinois 64-63 on Monday, led 32-21 at the half and never let Michigan get closer than 10 points in the last 17 minutes.

Michigan (16-5, 5-3), which had won nine of its last 10, suffered its most lopsided defeat since losing by 24 points at SMU in December 2015 and its worst against a Big Ten opponent since a 23-point loss to Michigan State in February 2013.

“This is a great lesson in humility against a great team,” Michigan coach John Beilein said. “This is the way the league is going to be all year long. If you’re fortunate enough to keep winning, the crowds are going to get bigger and bigger and you’re going to get everybody’s best shot. We certainly got Nebraska’s best shot.”

Charles Matthews had 15 points for the Wolverines, who shot 37.5 percent from the floor and a season-low 22.2 percent (4 of 18) on 3-pointers. Their 52 points were their fewest this season.

The Wolverines had come in 8-0 against the Huskers since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011-12, and they had won 10 straight in the series.

“It’s good to check that box,” Nebraska coach Tim Miles said.

Last March, Michigan set the Pinnacle Bank Arena record for points by an opponent and matched the arena record with 14 made 3-pointers.

Nebraska was in total control this time.

The Huskers played strong defense on the perimeter and forced nine of Michigan’s 12 turnovers the first 20 minutes. Roby, Duby Okeke and Jordy Tshimanga rendered season scoring leader Moritz Wagner a non-factor.

Wagner, who scored 27 points last Saturday against Michigan State and had reached double figures in all but two games, finished with a season-low two points, his only basket coming on a dunk early in the second half.

Isaac Copeland gave himself and teammates an `A’ for their defensive effort.

“We take pride in it,” he said. “A good team like that, we want to lock them up and win the game.”

Roby had two dunks and another basket during an 18-4 run that turned Nebraska’s 12-10 deficit into a 28-16 lead. The Wolverines went scoreless for more than 6 minutes and without a field goal for 7 1/2 as the Huskers broke things open. The Wolverines missed 14 of their last 16 shots of the half.

“That was really good,” Miles said of his team’s defense. “It shows what they’re capable of.”

BIG PICTURE

Michigan: Though the Wolverines have owned Nebraska, Pinnacle Bank Arena is a tough place to play, and they might have been out of gas after an emotional win over Michigan State and having to rally to beat Maryland 68-67 on Monday.

Nebraska: This was a crucial win for a team that has hopes of returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. Michigan came into the game No. 30 in the RPI; no other opponent Nebraska has beaten is in the top 50. Another big opportunity comes Monday when the Huskers visit Ohio State (No. 18 RPI).

TSHIMANGA RETURNS

Tshimanga, the Huskers’ 6-foot-11 center, missed the previous two games for personal reasons. He entered the game in the middle of the first half, and the first time he touched the ball, he passed to Roby for a dunk. He had three rebounds and an assist in seven minutes. Tshimanga had started the first 18 games.

“I was happy for him,” Miles said. “This was just a difficult personal thing for him. He feels pressure to please people and to do well, and I think it was one of those moments when you get a tipping point and the pressure explodes, and I’m glad we got it ironed out.”

UP NEXT

Michigan hosts Rutgers on Sunday.

Nebraska visits No. 22 Ohio State on Monday.

— Associated Press —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — James Palmer Jr. played it cool after hitting the winning 3-pointer just before the buzzer to give Nebraska a 64-63 win over Illinois on Monday night.

Asked if he had ever done that before, he said, “Of course. You play basketball, you’re going to hit a couple game-winners.”

But even Palmer had to admit this one was special under the circumstances. The Cornhuskers were coming off a loss at Penn State on Friday and were on the verge of losing for the third time in four games.

“This,” he said, “probably is the biggest one.”

Michael Finke had converted a 4-point play with 8.1 seconds left to give Illinois the lead. After a Nebraska timeout, Isaac Copeland inbounded to Glynn Watson Jr., who found Palmer on the left wing for the winning shot.

Palmer said coach Tim Miles’ instructions were simple.

“He told me and Glynn, `Try to make a play,’ ” Palmer said. “And that’s what happened. He passed it to me and I took my shot.”

The Huskers had led 61-57 with under a minute to play when Palmer dunked off a steal. But Finke scored in close on Illinois’ next possession, and after Palmer missed the front end of a one-and-one, Illinois called timeout with 18.7 seconds left. Finke hit his 3 in front of the Illini bench, got fouled by Isaiah Roby and made the free throw for what looked to be the play that would give Illinois its first Big Ten win under first-year coach Brad Underwood.

Palmer finished with 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting after a dismal 1-for-9 outing against Penn State.

“I definitely had to come out and play well this game,” Palmer said. “I couldn’t have two bad games in a row. Penn State, I really think it was on me because I didn’t show up on the road game. We took the loss hard, so we had to come out and play hard today. I came out and tried to help the team as much as possible.”

Evan Taylor added 13 for the Huskers (13-7, 4-3 Big Ten).

Trent Frazier scored 19 points, Finke added 16 and Leron Black had 13 for the Illini (10-9, 0-6), who are winless in six true road games.

“As I told our team, nothing is given. Everything is earned,” Underwood said. “Give Palmer credit. He made a heck of a shot. We felt pretty good watching them come up the floor… The kid stepped in and made a shot over Trent.”

BIG PICTURE

Illinois: The Illini are one of the most snakebit teams in the nation. They’ve led in the second half in eight of their nine losses, and in four of them they’ve had the ball with either the lead or in a tie with less than a minute remaining.

Nebraska: This was an important win for a Nebraska team that has hopes of returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. A loss at home to the last-place team would have been a stain on the resume.

QUOTABLE

“I think it’s appropriate: I’d rather be lucky than good.” — Miles.

KEY NUMBERS

Illinois outrebounded the Huskers 46-29 and held an 18-6 advantage on the offensive end… Illinois committed 16 turnovers, and the Huskers converted them into 24 points. … Nebraska shot just 41.2 percent and Illinois 39 percent. … The teams combined to go 8 of 41 (19.5 percent) on 3-pointers.

TSHIMANGA RETURNING

Coach Tim Miles announced Nebraska center Jordy Tshimanga, who has been away from the team since Thursday for personal reasons, will return on Tuesday. The sophomore started the first 18 games and averages 3.5 points and 5.1 rebounds.

“Last week, I discussed some personal issues with Coach Miles,” Tshimanga said. “This conversation resulted in me not participating in team activities the last few days, but it has allowed me to work on these issues so I can fully focus on academics and basketball at the University of Nebraska. During the last few days, I have very much appreciated the support of Coach Miles, the coaching staff, (Athletic) Director (Bill) Moos and, most importantly, my teammates.”

UP NEXT

Illinois visits Wisconsin on Friday.

Nebraska hosts Michigan on Thursday.

— Associated Press —

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Tony Carr has had some nice second-half efforts lately. Penn State’s top shooter saved most of his best stuff for overtime on Friday.

Carr scored nine of his 17 points, including a game-winning long jumper with three seconds left in overtime, and Penn State beat Nebraska 76-74 and secure Pat Chambers’ 100th win as Penn State’s coach on Friday night.

Lamar Stevens scored 26 points and Mike Watkins added 20 and grabbed 15 rebounds for the Nittany Lions (13-6, 3-3 Big Ten), who led by as many as 16 in the second half.

But it was Carr, who notched 18 of 28 in the second half at Indiana on Tuesday, who wrestled control back with tough makes through crowds of defenders in the final five minutes.

“Tony had the guts to come out and hit some big shots for us when he didn’t have the best shooting night,” Chambers said.

When Carr was working to find his shot, Stevens was taking over in a fashion that’s become typical for him of late. The hybrid forward entered the game averaging 22 points over the last three.

He quickly kept at it with 10 of Penn State’s first 19 points and Penn State closed out the first half on a 21-9 run and led 33-24. Nebraska made just five of its final 14 field goals in that span and finished the first half 9-for-32 from the floor.

“You can’t just get blasted in the first half like that,” Nebraska coach Tim Miles said. “We have to be more prepared to battle with a guy who’s a warrior like that because he just attacks the rim.”

Glynn Watson Jr. and Isaac Copeland scored 21 points apiece while Isaiah Roby and Anton Gill scored 12 and 10, respectively, for the Cornhuskers (12-7, 3-3).

Shep Garner made a 3-pointer to give Penn State its largest lead at 42-26 just over two minutes into the second half.

But the Huskers fought back from there and switched to a press look to slow Penn State’s offense.

They put together a 39-23 run that included back-to-back 3-pointers from Copeland and Watson that made it a two-point game with 3:28 to play. They combined for four free throws and Watson hit the final shot of regulation moments later to send it to overtime 65-65.

THE BIG PICTURE

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers were on a good stretch with five wins in six tries before Friday’s game. Runs like that could come more often if they shoot better. Nebraska entered the Bryce Jordan Center shooting just 43 percent from the floor and 36 percent from 3-point range for the season.

Penn State: All three of Penn State’s conference losses have come by six or fewer points and although they played a poor-shooting team in this one, the Nittany Lions have enough talent committed to playing defense to keep even good offenses at bay. Whether they can outscore those teams, or hold on to big leads, remains to be seen.

NO REAVES

Penn State was again without its top defender as Josh Reaves sat out a second straight game for academic reasons. Reaves leads the team and is 15th nationally with 2.47 steals per game. He’s chipped in 10.8 points per game, too.

AWAITING WORD ON TSHIMANGA

Nebraska was without starting center Jordy Tshimanga, who did not make the trip to Penn State as he mulls whether to transfer. Multiple outlets reported Tshimanga’s frustration with the way his season has unfolded.

The 6-foot-11 sophomore started all 18 games previously and was averaging 3.5 points and 5.1 rebounds over 15.2 minutes per game.

Miles said he couldn’t offer an update yet on Tshimanga’s status.

“I won’t know until I get home,” he said.

UP NEXT

Nebraska hosts Illinois (10-8, 0-5) on Monday.

Penn State hosts Minnesota (13-5, 2-3) on Monday.

— Associated Press —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — James Palmer, Jr. had 18 points and Nebraska opened up a double-digit lead early in the second half then held off three Wisconsin surges to take a 63-59 win Tuesday night.

“That’s the way it’s going to be against Wisconsin right now,” said Nebraska coach Tim Miles. “It’s going to be a rock fight. It didn’t surprise me. I think all the computers had it as a 1-, 2- or 3-point game. It certainly ended up that way. This is a difficult team to extend on and we made some bad decisions.”

Nebraska (12-6, 3-2 Big Ten) led by as many as 13 early in the second half, then saw the lead shrink to five as Wisconsin (9-9, 2-3) made five of six field goals.

The Huskers went back up by 10 at 50-40 when Thomas Allen hit a pair of free throws after a Wisconsin technical foul with 7:22 left.

The Badgers’ Ethan Happ scored seven straight against one Nebraska free throw to cut the deficit to 51-47 with 4:45 left. Three Nebraska free throws and a Palmer jumper, the Huskers’ last field goal of the game, put Nebraska back up by nine.

The Huskers led 62-53 after Isaac Copeland’s free throw with 11 seconds left. But Wisconsin’s Brevin Pritzl bombed in a long 3-pointer with just over 2 seconds left, Nebraska turned the ball over and Brad Davison hit another long-range 3 to pull Wisconsin to 62-59 with a second left.

Evan Taylor’s free throw then sealed the win for Nebraska.

Nebraska won the game at the free-throw line. The Huskers were 21 of 28 from the line, including 18 of 24 in the second half. Wisconsin made just 4 of its 10 free throws, 3 of 8 in the second half.

“That’s what we wanted to do in the second half, try to get to the free-throw line,” Copeland said. “I think we did a good job of that.”

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard commended his team’s effort and said the Badgers kept the game at the pace they wanted. But he said 10 turnovers that led to 11 Nebraska points and 5-for-19 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc doomed his squad.

“We know our margin for error is extremely thin,” said Gard. “It shows in areas that we struggle at times, whether it’s depth or whether it’s scoring. The effort in continuing to fight back and claw, I’m proud of. We almost have to pitch a perfect game at times on the defensive end.”

Copeland had 12 points for Nebraska.

Happ had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Wisconsin. Davison added 15 points and Pritzl scored 10.

QUOTABLE

Miles on Nebraska’s 3-point shooting: “The only one I can remember us making is the one where Roby’s on his kiester. We miss a three, he’s there, gets the rebound flips it back and we shoot the HORSE shot.”

THE BIG PICTURE

Nebraska: Nebraska completed a five-game stretch against Big Ten opponents that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season with a 3-2 record, defeating Wisconsin, Minnesota and Northwestern and losing to Michigan State and Purdue

Wisconsin: Wisconsin has won every game in which it has scored more than 70 points this season. The Badgers have lost every game in which they’ve scored 70 points or fewer, except for a 64-63 win at Penn State.

UP NEXT

Nebraska travels to State College, Pa. to take on Penn State. Nebraska has won just one time in six prior games at Penn State.

Wisconsin has a week off before traveling to West Lafayette, Ind., to face No. 13 Purdue in its third straight Big Ten road game.

— Associated Press —

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — When Purdue’s outside shots stopped falling Saturday, the Boilermakers went retro.

They drove the lane, fed the post and relied on some good, old-fashioned defense. It’s a combination that still works in today’s up-tempo basketball world.

Vincent Edwards finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and Isaac Haas added 14 points to help No. 13 Purdue roll past Nebraska 74-62 for its 11th consecutive victory.

“Just playing hard, that’s all it really is,” Edwards said. “When you play hard it gets contagious and that gets everyone else going and that gets the crowd involved, too. It’s just having the extra effort.”

Edwards wasted no time showing everyone what he and the Boilermakers (15-2, 4-0 Big Ten) are capable of.

And while they might not have racked up style points, Purdue finished the job — again.

The Boilermakers have won 18 consecutive home games overall and 10 straight at Mackey Arena against conference foes. This time they won despite failing to score 80 points for the first time in seven games and despite failing to make 10 3s for the first time in four games.

But coach Matt Painter liked the way his team stood up to the challenge.

“They put us in a bind at times and, obviously, we put them in a bind at times, too,” he said. “Today, this was there for the taking. They just needed to get us into a two- or three-possession game and they never really did. It was always a four- or five-possession game.”

Purdue’s defense made sure of it.

The Boilermakers had a 19-10 advantage in points off turnovers.

“I can understand if we lose on second-chance points to them,” coach Tim Miles said. “But points off turnovers killed us. That killed us.”

A slow start for Nebraska (11-6, 2-2) made things even tougher.

Edwards’ initial scoring flurry gave the Boilermakers a 10-2 lead less than three minutes into the game. Purdue extended the lead to 27-12 with 10:46 to go in the first half, and the Cornhuskers spent the rest of the game futilely playing catch-up.

Nebraska got within seven points three times before halftime, but Dakota Mathias’ 3 sent Purdue to the locker room with a 41-31 edge.

The Cornhuskers never got closer than nine again and Purdue sealed the win with an 11-3 run that made it a 17-point game with 5:46 to go.

James Palmer Jr. scored 22 points to lead the Cornhuskers and Isaac Copeland had 16.

BIG PICTURE

Nebraska: At home, the Cornhuskers have shown they can play with anyone. On the road, they still have a ways to go. Despite an impressive win Tuesday at Northwestern, Nebraska’s other two conference road games resulted in a 29-point loss at Michigan State on Dec. 3 and Saturday’s 12-point loss, in which they shot 40.7 percent from the field.

Purdue: The Boilermakers have been rolling through the Big Ten. Now they face more challenging tests. If Purdue is still unbeaten in conference play after visiting Michigan and Minnesota next week and hosting Wisconsin on Jan. 16, it would be in prime position to be playing for a second straight Big Ten crown. That certainly is doable.

KEY NUMBERS

Nebraska: Glynn Watson Jr. had seven points and six rebounds. … The Cornhuskers held their first three conference opponents to 36 percent shooting before Purdue shot 44.3 percent. … Nebraska was 6 of 17 on 3s and got outrebounded 39-30. … The Cornhuskers had only one block, after averaging 6.1, and had their lowest point total since an 86-57 loss to Michigan State on Dec. 3.

Purdue: Has won Big Ten titles six of the previous 12 times it started 4-0 in conference play. … The Boilermakers are 14-0 on American soil. Both of their losses came in the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas … Purdue’s school record streak of 30-point wins ended at three. … Haas grabbed six rebounds while Mathias scored 11 points and had four steals. … The Boilermakers were 6 of 21 on 3s.

UP NEXT

Nebraska: Returns home to face Wisconsin on Tuesday.

Purdue: Heads to Michigan on Tuesday.

— Associated Press —

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Glynn Watson Jr. scored 19 points and Nebraska took control down the stretch to beat Northwestern 70-55 on Tuesday night.

James Palmer Jr. added 18 points, 15 in the second half, Isaac Copeland scored 13, and the Cornhuskers (11-5, 2-1 Big Ten) won their fourth straight.

Dererk Pardon had 17 points and a season-high 15 rebounds for Northwestern (10-6, 1-2). But the Wildcats shot just 29.percent from the field (19 of 65) and were 6 of 21 on 3-pointers.

It didn’t help that star guard Bryant McIntosh watched from the sideline after exiting Saturday’s win over Brown with a left knee injury. He is day to day after an MRI showed no major structural damage.

Nebraska had dropped four in a row to Northwestern. But the Cornhuskers took control early in the second half.

Northwestern was leading by five when Nebraska went on a 16-5 run to go up 41-36. Law cut it to 41-40 with a basket and two free throws, but the Cornhuskers pulled away after that.

Anton Gill made a 4-point play with just under eight minutes left. Isaac Copeland got fouled on a put-back and hit the free throw to complete the 3-point play, making it 54-45 with 6:13 remaining. And James Palmer nailed a 3 to make it 59-49 with 3:32 left.

BIG PICTURE

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers are starting to build some momentum after back-to-back losses to Creighton and Kansas.

Northwestern: The Wildcats continue to struggle to find consistency coming off their first NCAA tournament appearance.

UP NEXT

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers visit No. 13 Purdue on Saturday.

Northwestern: The Wildcats visit Penn State on Friday.

— Associated Press —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A week ago, Tanner Borchardt fulfilled the walk-on’s dream, receiving a Nebraska basketball scholarship. Friday night, Borchardt came off the bench to score a career-high 8 points and grab 10 rebounds in 12 second-half minutes and the Huskers pulled away from Stetson late to take a 71-62 win.

“In my mind, the underdogs won tonight, said Nebraska coach Tim Miles. If you look at this game and you look at the way Stetson played, they outplayed us…We were lucky enough to have an underdog in Tanner Borchardt, who came out and really did some great things in a short amount of time that I thought helped steady us, give us a little bit of a lead and a shot of confidence.”

Nebraska guard Evan Taylor was more direct about the contributions of Borchardt, a junior who had a total of 12 points and 25 rebounds in his career before Friday.

“T is probably the reason we won the game,” Taylor said. “We’ve been seeing him work since the summer, we know he’s capable of this. I’m happy for him. Tonight is his night. He’s the man. He’s the reason we won the game.”

Nebraska (10-5) trailed just once in the game, after Stetson’s Luke Doyle hit a 3-pointer on the opening possession of the second half. But the Huskers couldn’t shake the Hatters, who tied the game three times in the final minutes, the last at 48 on Doyle’s 3-pointer with 9:15 left.

Stetson (7-8) then went scoreless for more than 5 minutes and Nebraska went on a 10-point run that began with a steal and a layup by Taylor and ended with a pair of James Palmer, Jr. free throws that put Nebraska up 58-48 with 4:25 left.

The Hatters cut the lead to six twice but final-minute dunks by Taylor and Palmer sealed the win for Nebraska.

Borchardt sparked the sluggish Huskers in the second half, including a block that led to Palmer’s free throws. He said he didn’t expect to have that kind of impact on the game, but was prepared when his number was called.

“Whatever coach wants of me, I’m going to go in there and do,” Borchardt said. “He told me coming out at halftime he was going to use me off the bench, so I just had to stay ready. It’s all those reps on scout team getting me ready for this moment.”

Both teams struggled from the floor in the first half, Nebraska shooting just 24 percent against the Hatters’ swarming zone defense and Stetson shot 33 percent. The Hatters hit 36 percent of their shots in the second half while Nebraska improved to 44 percent.

“Defensively they did a good job,” Stetson coach Corey Williams. “Their length, at times, bothered us. I just think we could’ve finished some plays at the basket. I thought we had some open shots that went in and came out. If they would’ve went in, then maybe it’s a different ballgame. They certainly stepped up and made big plays. Make more baskets, get to the free-throw line more, that would’ve helped.”

Isaac Copeland and Palmer each scored 13 for Nebraska but were a combined 8 of 32 from the field. Anton Gill had 12 points for Nebraska and Taylor had 10 points.

Divine Myles had 17 points for Stetson. Abayomi Iyiola had 15 points and Doyle had 12 points.

BIG PICTURE

Nebraska: Friday’s win gives Nebraska nine victories over non-conference opponents, matching the highest total in six seasons.

Stetson: Friday’s game was just the 13th game for Stetson against a Big Ten opponent. The Hatters are now 1-12 against the Big Ten. The only Stetson victory was a 58-56 win at Purdue on Nov. 24, 1990

QUOTABLE.

Miles on the players reaction to Borchardt during the game. “It’s a true celebration on the bench. They were telling me, `Coach we’ve got to run a play for Tanner so he gets his double-double.’ I said `We’ve got to win the game. Tanner can go tip one in and get his double-double.’ He almost did that…They’re looking out for him like that. I’m clueless out there. They have the information. I don’t know if they have their phones on or its one the scoreboard. Maybe they count better than I do.”

Miles on Nebraska’s poor shooting: “Three of our top guys go 8 for 35,” Miles said. “That’s a tough night. I thought we still defended all right.”

UP NEXT

Nebraska: The Huskers travel to Evanston, Illinois, Tuesday to resume Big Ten play against Northwestern. Nebraska is 1-1 in the Big Ten this season.

Stetson: The Hatters host Florida National Tuesday before beginning Atlantic Sun conference play on Jan. 6 at Florida Gulf Coast.

— Associated Press —