Huskers dancing to Sweet 16 tune, #6 Nebraska defeats #3 Texas A&M 74-63 in College Station
No. 6-seed Nebraska earned a place in the Sweet Sixteen for the second time in program history, stunning No.3-seed Texas A&M (25-10) on the Aggies’ home court in front of 5,886 fans in College Station. The Huskers improved to 25-8 on the season, producing the second-best victory total in school history, trailing only the 32 wins from the 2010 Huskers who also advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
The game began with a fast pace and A&M jumped to an early six-point lead through the first media timeout. Nebraska responded by scoring 10 of the next 16 points and tied the contest at 16 with just over 11 minutes to play in the first half. Nebraska went into the lockerroom after an 11-2 run taking an 11-point lead into the break 43-32.
The Huskers shot 18-for-36 over the first 20 minutes compared to 14-for-30 for the Aggies. Nebraska was a perfect 2-for-2 from the free-throw line while the Aggies did not get to the line before the break.
Junior All-Big Ten forward Jordan Hooper led all scorers with 21 points, while adding eight rebounds, three steals and a block. Hooper hit 6-of-13 shots from the floor, including 3-of-7 threes, and all six of her free throws. Senior point guard Lindsey Moore, who was a freshman starting point guard on Nebraska’s 2010 Sweet Sixteen squad, finished with 20 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and a steal while playing the full 40 minutes.
Senior point guard Adrienne Pratcher led A&M with 17 points, while Kelsey Bone added 13. Courtney Williams contributed 11.
Nebraska hit 45.6 percent (26-57) of its shots, including 8-of-19 three-pointers (.421). They were was also 14-of-15 at the free throw line, outscoring its two NCAA Tournament opponents in College Station by a combined 32-2 at the line. The Huskers also dominated the glass against All-SEC center Bone and the Aggies, 39-27, while winning the turnover battle, 14-13.
Nebraska moves on to face the winner of Duke and Oklahoma State game Tuesday night. The Huskers will play on Sunday at the Ted Constant Convocation Center on the campus of Old Dominion. Nebraska last played on the ODU campus in the 1998 NCAA Tournament.
