Tuesday, February 20, 2018 09:00 PM (ET)

Surging Nebraska dumps Indiana

Field Level Media
Feb 20, 2018
Junior guard James Palmer Jr. scored 15 points to help Nebraska post a 66-57 victory over Indiana in Big Ten play on Tuesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb.

Junior forward Isaac Copeland added 13 points for the Cornhuskers, who won for the seventh time in the past eight games. Sophomore forward Isaiah Roby had 11 points and nine rebounds as Nebraska (21-9, 12-5 Big Ten) improved to 15-1 at home.

Freshman forward Justin Smith had 16 points and eight rebounds for Indiana (16-13, 9-8), which had its season-best four-game winning streak halted. Senior guard Robert Johnson also scored 16 points, and junior forward Juwan Morgan added 13 points and nine rebounds.

The Cornhuskers shot just 40.3 percent from the field but forced the Hoosiers into 19 turnovers. Indiana shot 45.3 percent from the field.

The Hoosiers trailed by three with 4 1/2 minutes to play before Nebraska ripped off eight straight points. Palmer's dunk and Roby's step-back jumper culminated the surge and gave the Cornhuskers a 64-53 advantage with 1:51 remaining.

A ferocious dunk by Copeland with 52.9 seconds left again pushed the lead to 11 as Nebraska closed it out.

The Hoosiers led 41-37 after a basket by senior forward Freddie McSwain Jr. with 13:50 remaining before senior guard Evan Taylor scored five points during a 10-0 burst that gave the Cornhuskers a six-point lead with 9:27 left.

Senior guard Josh Newkirk received a friendly bounce on a short runner to move Indiana within 51-49 with 6:47 to play. Nebraska responded with five of the next seven points to take a 56-51 advantage on Roby's 3-pointer with 5:28 remaining.

Johnson had nine first-half points as Indiana led 26-25 at the break.

Johnson's layup gave the Hoosiers a 19-16 edge with 5:56 left in the half before the Cornhuskers rattled off the next six points. Nebraska was up 25-22 after a 3-pointer by freshman guard Thomas Allen with 1:52 to play before Indiana scored the final four of the half, capped by Johnson's basket with 45 seconds remaining.

--Field Level Media

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