Huskers Overwhelm Gophers in Big Ten Opener

Lincoln - Senior transfer Alberte Rimdal led a balanced Big Red attack with 12 points and a career-high six assists, as No. 25 Nebraska rolled to an 84-65 women's basketball win over previously unbeaten Minnesota in the Big Ten Conference opener for both teams on Sunday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Senior Alexis Markowski just missed a double-double with 11 points and a game-high nine rebounds, while Minnesotan Callin Hake added 11 points of her own including a trio of three-pointers to help the Huskers improve to 8-1 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten. Nebraska also extended its home winning streak to 10 straight games. The Golden Gophers slipped to 10-1 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

Amiah Hargrove rounded out the four Huskers in double figures with 10 points and a career-high eight rebounds in just 14 minutes off the bench to lead a hugely productive effort by the Big Red freshmen. Petra Bozan pitched in nine points and five rebounds, while Britt Prince contributed seven points and a career-high seven boards to go along with three assists. 

As a group, Nebraska's freshmen combined for 26 points and 20 rebounds in 55 total minutes, while Minnesota's four returning starters of Amaya Battle, Mallory Heyer, Sophie Hart and Grace Grocholski combined for 31 points and 20 rebounds in 116 minutes.

Logan Nissley contributed eight points, while Kendall Moriatry added seven points in strong efforts. Minnesotan Kendall Coley also pitched in five points and six rebounds in her second consecutive start. Coley scored all five of her points late in the second period to send Nebraska to halftime with a 36-19 lead.

Nebraska's 84 points were 28 more than any of the previous 10 Gopher opponents were able to muster, as the Huskers hit 51.7 percent (31-60) of their field goals, including 12-of-28 threes (.429) against a Minnesota squad that had been allowing just 46 points per game. The Big Red also dominated the glass, 49-30, against a Gopher club that entered the game with a plus-8.8 margin on the boards. 

The Huskers held Minnesota to just 35.2 percent (25-71) shooting for the game, including just 17.9 percent (7-39) in the first half. The Gophers finished 5-for-21 from three-point range after going 1-for-14 in the first half. Minnesota did win the turnover battle, 15-4.

Nebraska opened the game on a 12-2 surge that included four points from Markowski, a putback from Nissley and back-to-back threes from Prince and Hake to set the tone for the game. 

Minnesota rallied to cut the lead to six points at 17-11, before Hargrove sparked a 10-0 run with eight straight points in a 1:09 stretch, including back-to-back three-pointers. Prince capped the run with a bucket at the buzzer to send the Huskers to the second quarter with a 27-11 lead.

In a low-scoring second quarter, Minnesota cut the lead to 27-15 with two early baskets before Rimdal scored four straight. Alexsia Rose, who had 10 points in just over 11 minutes off the bench for the Gophers, then scored Minnesota's final four points of the half, while Coley responded with five for the Big Red.

Minnesota scored the first two buckets of the third quarter, and eventually trimmed the margin to 46-34 with 3:36 left in the period. However, a Hargrove basket followed by five straight points from Bozan and a three-pointer from Rimdal capped a 10-1 surge that gave Nebraska its first 20-point of the game at 56-35 with 1:45 left in the quarter and forced a Minnesota timeout.

Nebraska took a 21-point lead to the fourth and built the margin to 28 points, the last time on Moriarty's three-point play with 5:28 left to make it 74-46.

All 11 Huskers scored at least one point and grabbed at least one rebound in the game, while Minnesota played just eight players. Heyer led the Gophers with 12 points and eight rebounds, while Tori McKinney added 11 points. Grocholski and Rose both pitched in 10 points, while former Husker Annika Stewart added nine points, including seven points in the final five minutes to help pull the Gophers within 20 at the buzzer.

Nebraska continues its five-game homestand against Tarleton State on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. (CT). Tickets are available now at Huskers.com. The game will be broadcast on B1G+ and can be heard across the Huskers Radio Network, including Huskers.com.