Markowski Powers Huskers to 10-0

Lincoln – Alexis Markowski used her first career double-double to finish with a career-high 17 points and 10 rebounds to power Nebraska to a 78-50 women’s basketball win over Indiana State in front of nearly 4,000 fans at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Saturday afternoon.

With the victory, Nebraska improved to 10-0 to start a season with 10 consecutive wins for just the second time in school history, joining the 2009-10 Huskers who opened 30-0 on their way to a Big 12 championship and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Markowski, a 6-3 freshman out of Lincoln Pius X, provided the biggest highlights not only with her 17 points and 10 rebounds in less than 17 minutes, but also by burying the first two three-pointers of her college career. She added a blocked shot and a steal in the game.

Sophomore guard Jaz Shelley matched Markowski for game-high scoring honors with 17 points of her own, while adding four assists, three rebounds and two steals. Sam Haiby put three Huskers in double figures with 12 points to go with five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

Nebraska never trailed in the contest, building an 18-11 first-quarter lead before extending the margin to 39-17 at the half. The lead grew to 30 points for the first time late in the third quarter after Shelley scored five straight points in a 15-second span to put NU up 59-29.

Indiana State continued to scrap and disrupt any flow in the game, forcing a season-high 24 turnovers by the Big Red. Nebraska answered by forcing 26 turnovers by the Sycamores. The Huskers outscored Indiana State, 24-14, off those turnovers and outscored ISU 22-0 in fastbreak points on the afternoon.

As a team, Nebraska hit 50 percent (27-54) of its shots from the field, but just 6-of-24 threes on the day. The Huskers also knocked down 18-of-26 free throws (.692). NU won the rebounding battle, 42-36, while holding the Sycamores to just 29.5 percent (18-61) shooting from the field, including just 3-of-12 three-pointers. ISU did connect on 11-of-15 free throws (.733).

Del’Janae Williams was the only Sycamore to manage double figures with 10 points, including eight in the fourth quarter, but all nine of the Sycamores who played in the game found the scoring column and grabbed at least one rebound.

A total of 10 Huskers scored in the contest, including eight points on 4-of-6 shooting by Isabelle Bourne, while Allison Weidner added six points, three assists and three steals. Ashley Scoggin and Kendall Coley both pitched in five points, while Ruby Porter and Annika Stewart each knocked down three-pointers. Bella Cravens rounded out NU’s scoring with two points.

 

Nebraska returns to Pinnacle Bank Area to play Drake on Sunday, Dec. 19. Tip-off between the Huskers (10-0) and Bulldogs (6-2) is set for noon with tickets on sale now at Huskers.com.