Nebraska no match for Illinois in 76-50 blowout defeat
The theme of Nebraska’s 2022-23 season so far has been one step forward, two steps back. That unfortunate trend continued against Illinois on Tuesday night in an ugly 76-50 defeat at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Three days after pulling out an overtime road win at Minnesota, the Huskers were disjointed from the start in a game filled with fouls and choppy play.
Sam Griesel had a team-high 12 points, but NU shot just 37% from the field and averaged .758 points per possession. That was partly due to the Fighting Illini scoring 16 points off 17 forced turnovers with 12 steals and seven blocks.
Nebraska was also whistled 17 times (12 in the first half) on a night that saw a combined 38 fouls.
Illinois wasn’t great offensively either, shooting 33% in the first half and 45.9% for the game. Terrence Shannon Jr. made up for it by taking over with 25 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and four steals.
A layup by Shannon gave the game its first made field goal with 15:52 left in the first half. Nebraska and Illinois started the night a combined 1-of-10 from the field with six fouls through the first four minutes.
The Illini eventually used a 9-0 run to take a 14-7 lead midway through the half. They later would go into the break on another 9-3 spurt for a 34-23 advantage. Neither team shot above 36% in a first half that had a combined 24 fouls called (12 on each team).
Nebraska sprinted out of the gate to open the second half with six straight points. But the rally didn’t last long. Illinois answered with a 15-2 run and took its largest lead yet at 48-31 with just under 14 minutes remaining.
The Illini shot 58.1% and posted a whopping 1.400 points per possession in the second half.
A personal 8-0 run from Wilhelm Breidenbach cut the deficit down to 12. Nebraska then got as close as 59-49 after an And-1 by Derrick Walker. But Illinois fired back with a 17-1 answer over the final five minutes to close the door.
Breidenbach scored all of his 11 points in the second half, while C.J. Wilcher chipped in eight points. Illinois had five players score in double figures, with Coleman Hawkins following up with 12.
Walker’s struggles highlight Nebraska’s offensive issues
It’s no secret that Walker is the key for Nebraska on and off the floor. His career performance at Minnesota was a prime example.
On the flip side, though, the loss to Illinois showed just how reliant the Huskers are on him to make their offense work.
Two early fouls limited Walker to just six minutes in the first half. He only played a season-low 17 minutes for the game and finished a season-worst five points on 2-of-7 shooting. The sixth-year senior didn’t score until 12:50 left in the second half.
Walker had reached double figures in 10 of the 11 games he’d played, with his previous season-low being seven points against Kansas State. The Huskers lost that game by 15.
Nebraska’s offense is in trouble if he’s not producing in the paint and facilitating in the halfcourt.
“Listen, when Derrick goes out, he’s a big part of our system and playmaker…” NU head coach Fred Hoiberg. “I feel good about Derrick, whoever’s guarding him. We couldn’t get around them; we couldn’t go over the top. They were staying down on his fakes… We just could not get any rhythm with that.”
“He was frustrated, there’s no doubt about it,” Hoiberg added. “But the good ones, they bounce back, and I know Derrick will.”
The Wilhelm Breidenbach experience was on full display
Breidenbach is an interesting player for a lot of reasons. It’s not just because of his beard and trademark goggles, either.
Tuesday night showcased the full Breidenbach experience. He played just four minutes in the first half, missing his only shot, committing a turnover, and picking up three fouls.
The second half was a completely different story, though. Breidenbach came off the bench and reeled off 11 points in just four minutes. That included a personal 8-0 run that cut a 20-point deficit down to 12.
He shot 4-for-5 overall, was 2-for-2 from behind the arc, and made his lone free throw in his nine minutes of work after halftime.
“Just take what the defense gives me,” Breidenbach said. “Whatever I can do to help the team and give the team a better chance at winning is what I will do. It does not necessarily have to be scoring, but if I am scoring, then that is fine. If it is rebounding or anything in between, then that is what I will do.”
Nebraska’s inconsistency has become a serious problem
As difficult as this season’s schedule is, Nebraska has proven it can compete with almost anyone when it plays to its potential.
But for every performance like against Creighton, Purdue, or Iowa, all have been followed with significant regression the next time out. The blowout loss to Illinois was the latest example.
The Huskers had an opportunity to take an important step forward by stringing together consecutive high-major wins for the first time this season. As lopsided as the game was, NU closed as only a 3.5-point underdog.
Instead, Nebraska suffered its worst loss of the season, and now a road trip for a rematch with No. 3 Purdue (15-1, 4-1) is up next on Friday night. The Boilermakers certainly won’t overlook the Huskers after nearly losing in Lincoln.
“For whatever reason, after losses, we’re bouncing back with good effort. After wins, we’re just not handling it the right way,” Hoiberg said. “So we’ve got to find a way to bounce back – whether it’s after a win or a loss.”
They said it
“It is frustrating. If you want to have chance to play in the postseason, you have to string them together. We’ve had a brutal schedule, there is no doubt. It’s been hard. But you go on the road and get a big win, and then you come home and drop one. So we’ve got to find a way to steal at least one more on the road – hopefully a couple of them – and start stringing good efforts together for the remaining 14 (games) left.”
Head coach Fred Hoiberg on Nebraska’s continued up-and-down play this season.
