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Nebraska Post-Game Notes
- Alonzo Verge Jr. scored a game-high 22 points, his fifth 20-point effort of the season. Verge was 8-of-12 from the field in the game, including 7-of-8 in the second half, when he scored 20 points.
- Verge scored or assisted on 10 of Nebraska’s second-half field goals, and he also led the Huskers with five second-half free throws.
- Bryce McGowens added 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting. McGowens scored in double figures for the sixth straight game and for the 19th time this season.
- Verge and McGowens both scored in double figures for the 13th time this season.
- Derrick Walker Jr. added 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds. Walker is now shooting 69 percent from the floor this season.
- Trey McGowens filled up the stat sheet with six points, seven rebounds and five assists without a turnover. His five assists were a season high and one shy of his career high.
- The Huskers forced 18 turnovers against the Golden Gophers – Minnesota’s most in Big Ten play this season – and Nebraska tied its season high with 25 points off turnovers.
- Nebraska recorded 12 steals, tying its season high in that category. Lat Mayen had a career-high three steals for the Big Red, while Verge also had three.
- The Huskers outscored Minnesota 40-22 in the paint. Nebraska’s 40 paint points were its highest in Big Ten play, and the plus-18 scoring margin in the paint the Huskers’ largest of the conference season.
- Nebraska also limited Minnesota to a 39.3% shooting percentage (22-of-56), marking the third lowest percentage for a Husker opponent in conference play.
- The 78-65 win over Minnesota gives Nebraska its first conference win of the season, and its first Big Ten win since March 1 of last season against Rutgers (72-51).
- Nebraska never trailed and led for all but 23 seconds in the game.
- Nebraska’s 21 points allowed in the first half was a season-best allowed and matched the lowest allowed in Fred Hoiberg’s three seasons (vs. TAMU-CC in 2019-20).
Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg
On getting the first conference win
“It feels great. As I said to the guys in the locker room the approach that they brought after the embarrassment on Saturday was what won the game. The 40 minutes between the lines is what you see when it is the preparation that puts you in position. I thought our defensive energy out of the chute got a little rhythm for us offensively. We missed a lot of layups right there which generally can frustrate a team, but we did a good job getting back after that. I thought Lat (Mayen) did a good job on (Jamison) Battle in the first half holding him I think scoreless and Trey (McGowens) all game long. You see his versatility going out and guarding (Payton) Willis and holding him to eight shot attempts. That is not easy to do. To watch him play he gets his shot off pretty much when he wants. For Trey (McGowens) to apply the ball pressure he did still working on his wind and his timing.”
On the effect of a win for the team’s confidence:
“It is important. We have obviously been right there on numerous occasions. That is the hard part. You say it as much as you want, but if it does not get in the left column it does not matter. The approach for our guys that continue to come on when you have lost all 12 league games it is important to keep that mentality and try your best to not listen to the noise not that it is not warranted but you have to do your best to stay focused on the task at hand. Fans were unbelievable to continue to come out and support our team after the embarrassing effort we had this weekend. To get a win for our fans that have continued to come out and show the support is important. It is emotional. To go out there and to have that. Not many fan bases are going to continue to support like ours have through this tough stretch. I know they appreciate hard work and they appreciate toughness. I thought we showed all those qualities tonight.”
Nebraska Forward Derrick Walker
On what this win means to them as a team
“It means a lot to us. After everything we've been through this season, all the close games, one of them even went to three or four overtimes. It means a lot for us to finally come out with a win. Hopefully we can keep this going for the rest of the season and continue to win.”
On Alonzo Verge Jr. in the second half
“He was great. He’s a good guy and a good player. It’s great for him to score and maintain the score of the game, especially down the stretch. It’s all about trying to score, and I believe we did a good job of that tonight.”
Nebraska Guard Bryce McGowens
On his alley-oop connection with Trey McGowens
“I would say we have a connection. He likes to run, and I like to run. Us just having a connection, I tell him to just throw it and I’ll see what I can do with it.”
On Trey McGowens’ stat line
“Him and Derrick are our glue guys. They do everything for us and have played at the highest level for a numerous amount of years. For him to just come out and compete, he was ready to take on the challenge today. When he walked in, we knew he was ready to play.”
Minnesota Head Coach Ben Johnson
Opening Statement
“First off hats off to Nebraska. I thought they controlled it from start to finish and did a good job offensively and defensively. They really played with force today, got downhill and were far more aggressive and played with confidence. Hats off to those guys. We just have to figure out a way to regroup and get ready for this weekend.”
On Nebraska’s defense in the first half"
“I just thought they were aggressive. They pressed up and tried to take some stuff away with their denial and pressure and took some stuff away from our guys. They just had more urgency and force to them. That’s a talented team and we knew that coming in. We didn’t do our part, and weren’t strong with the ball and got put on our heels quickly. With a team like that, you can’t give them confidence early.”
On Alonzo Verge Jr’s performance
“There are really good players in this league and he’s one of them. I think especially in space he can really create because of his size and length. We didn’t do a very good job on any of their guys to be honest. When you have players in this league that can create offense and go get a bucket you just have to try to make everything tough.”
NU Athletic Communications