Before tipoff, the Providence checklist was three items: account for Malik Mack, survive the Friars’ steals and see whether Sam Orme could go. The box score from Nebraska’s 67-58 win answers all three.
Mack
The Georgetown transfer who once scored 25 on Nebraska finished with eight points on 1-of-8 shooting in 29 minutes. He was 1 of 4 from three, made all five of his free throws and had three assists.
The steals
Providence came in off a 17-steal game against Maine, with Miles Byrd and Gavin Hightower combining for 12 of them. Against Nebraska the Friars had two steals as a team, one each from Mack and Hightower. Nebraska did commit 15 turnovers, but Providence scored 12 points off them. Nebraska scored 20 off Providence’s 18.
The Huskers had 12 steals of their own: four from Braden Frager, three each from Pryce Sandfort and Cale Jacobsen, and one each from Damon Wilkinson and Taj DeGourville.
Orme
Orme, a game-time decision after missing the opener, played 10 minutes. He did not score and had three rebounds.
The rest of the box
- Providence shot 30.6 percent overall and 7 of 38 from three. Marangon was 2 of 8 from deep and Vanterpool 2 of 9.
- Boden Kapke was 5 of 6 from the field for 13 points in 22 minutes.
- DeGourville did not score but had seven assists, the most of anyone in the game.
- Jacobsen made 7 of 9 free throws. Nebraska was 18 of 24 at the line, Providence 13 of 14.
- Nebraska shot 5 of 24 from three.
- Providence had 15 offensive rebounds to Nebraska’s seven.
What to clean up
The three-point shooting and the offensive glass are the two lines that kept a team shooting 30.6 percent within reach into the second half. Nebraska hosts Lindenwood on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 8 p.m. CT on FS1, then meets Boise State at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Sunday, Nov. 15.
Featured image: Photo: Michael Barera. CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nebraska_vs._Michigan_men’s_basketball_2015_10.jpg.