Teddy Allen put on a record-breaking performance Tuesday night as the Nebraska men's basketball team took Penn State down to the wire before falling 86-83.
 
Allen finished with a career-high 41 points on 16-of-24 shooting, including six 3-pointers, as his 41 points was one shy of the school mark of 42 by Eric Piatkowski. He tied school marks for points in a home game (Aleks Maric, 2007 vs. K-State) and most field goals made with 16 (Marvin Stewart, 1970 vs. Nevada) while his 28 first-half points broke NU's single-half record. His performance matched the highest single-game total in the Big Ten this season.  Allen's 41 points on 16 makes against the Nittany Lions are the most points and made field goals allowed by PSU in a conference game.
 
Allen fueled the Huskers in the first half, scoring his career-high, record-setting 28 points in 19 minutes of action as the Huskers trailed 39-38 at the break. Nebraska spotted PSU an 8-0 lead before Allen led the Husker charge, scoring 13 points, as the Huskers battled back and tied it at 17.
 
From that point in the half to halftime, neither team led by more than five points, as Allen and Penn State's Myreon Jones combined for 45 first-half points. Jones had 17 of his team-high 29 points in the opening 20 minutes, while Allen scored the Huskers' last nine points of the half to make it a one-point game at the break.
 
Nebraska took the lead at 48-47 with just under 15 minutes remaining, but PSU used an 11-0 burst to take a 58-48 lead on a Myles Dread 3-pointer with 12:39 left. Allen scored five straight points to make it a five-point deficit and the Huskers kept chipping away, shooting 56 percent in the second half, including 8-of-13 from long range. Trailing 70-64, consecutive 3-pointers form Trey McGowens and Thorir Thorbjarnarson tied it at 70 before Penn State took control. The visitors used an 11-4 run to push it to 81-74 with 53 seconds left on a pair of Jones free throws.
 
The Huskers had one last run, as McGowens sank a pair of free throws before Thorbjarnarson got a steal and hit both free throws to make it a four-point deficit. After Jones split a pair of free throws, McGowens' 3-point play made it 82-81 with 22.2 seconds left. Nebraska had one final chance down 86-83, but McGowens, who finished with 17 points, could not hit the game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds.
 
The Huskers return to action Thursday, Feb. 25 to take on Illinois on the road. The game tips off from Champaign, Ill. at 6 p.m. (CT) with television coverage by the Big Ten Network and radio coverage from the Learfield IMG Husker Sports Network.

Huskers Aim for 10th B1G Win at Minnesota

Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-9, 9-8 Big Ten)
at Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-11, 6-10 Big Ten)
Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021, 6 p.m. (CT)
Williams Arena - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Live Video: B1G Network+ 
Live Radio: Husker Sports Network (5:45 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (B107.3 FM & 1400 AM KLIN), Omaha (ESPN 590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App, TuneIn

Huskers Aim for 10th Big Ten Win at Minnesota 
• The Nebraska women's basketball team shoots for its 10th Big Ten Conference win of the season while trying to gain a season split against Minnesota when the Huskers travel to Minneapolis on Wednesday. Tip-off between the Huskers (11-9, 9-8 Big Ten) and the Golden Gophers (7-11, 6-10 Big Ten) is set for 6 p.m. (CT) at Williams Arena.

• A live video stream will be provided to BTN Plus subscribers, while fans can also follow Nebraska with the Husker Sports Network call of Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch across the radio network stations, the Huskers App and Huskers.com.

• Nebraska heads to Minnesota after going 2-0 last week capped by an 87-72 home win over Penn State on Sunday. The win over the Lady Lions followed a 71-64 win at No. 24 Northwestern to complete a season sweep of the Wildcats. It was NU's Big Ten-best fourth win over an AP Top 25 team (at game time) this season. The Huskers also own a win over current No. 25 Rutgers (Jan. 3).

• The Huskers were led last week by College Sports Madness National Player of the Week Isabelle Bourne, who averaged 21.5 points, 14.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 blocks. Bourne, who was also named the Big Ten Player of the Week by the conference on Monday, is averaging 14.4 points and a team-best 8.2 rebounds. She owns three straight double-doubles and five on the season. She missed Nebraska's 76-71 loss to Minnesota (Jan. 19) with an ankle injury.

• Bourne led five Huskers in double figures against Penn State, including 18 points from first-team All-Big Ten contender Sam Haiby. The 5-9 guard from Moorhead, Minn., had 18 points on a career-best 4-of-5 three-point shooting against the Lady Lions. Haiby is the only player in the Big Ten to rank among the top 12 in the conference in scoring (16.9 ppg, 12th), rebounding (7.2 rpg, 12th) and assists (4.5 apg, 9th).

• Fellow Minnesotan Annika Stewart (Minneapolis) added 10 points against PSU in just seven minutes off the bench. The 6-3 freshman out of Wayzata High School scored all 10 in a 12-2 Husker surge to close the first half. She is averaging 6.1 points and 3.1 rebounds.

• A third Minnesotan, freshman Kendall Coley added career highs with three points, two rebounds and a block against Penn State. Coley, who was supposed to be a high school senior at St. Louis Park in 2021, graduated in January and joined the Huskers in time for the first game against the Golden Gophers. Although she was not cleared to play and not in uniform, she was on the Husker bench.

• Kate Cain rounded out the Huskers in double figures with 11 points, five rebounds and five blocks against Penn State. The 6-5 center from Middletown, N.Y., became Nebraska's 34th 1,000-point scorer in the win at No. 24 Northwestern (Feb. 17). She went 7-for-7 from the floor and 8-for-8 at the free throw line in the win over the Wildcats. Cain is also Nebraska's career record holder with 343 blocks, which ranks No. 6 in Big Ten history and No. 2 among active NCAA Division I players. Cain is one of 15 candidates for the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year.

Big Ten Wins vs. AP Top 25*
Team - Wins - (Games vs. Top 25)
Nebraska - 5 (9)
#8 Maryland - 5 (7)
#11 Indiana - 3 (7)
#12 Michigan - 3 (5)
#15 Ohio State - 3 (5)
(RV) Iowa - 2 (9)
(RV) Northwestern - 2 (5)
Wisconsin - 1 (10)
#25 Rutgers - 1 (2)
Illinois - 0 (8)
Minnesota - 0 (7)
Purdue - 0 (7)
Michigan State - 0 (5)
*AP rank at any point in 2020-21

Scouting The Minnesota Golden Gophers
• Head coach Lindsay Whalen's Minnesota team has fought hard during the heart of the Big Ten. Over the last nine games, starting with a 76-71 win at Nebraska (Jan. 19), the Golden Gophers have gone 5-4 and enter the week at 7-11 overall and 6-10 in the conference.

• Minnesota was handcuffed by an extremely limited roster at the start of fall practice and again at the start of the season due to complications caused by COVID-19 protocols. Only three Gophers - Jasmine Powell, Kadi Sissoko and Klarke Sconiers - have played in all 18 contests.

• Powell and Sissoko are the only Gophers to start all 18 games. Powell, a 5-6 sophomore from Detroit, is averaging 14.9 points and team bests with 5.4 assists and 1.4 steals. Powell has been slowed recently by a foot injury, but scored 15 points and dished out five assists in the win at Nebraska. She was a 2020 Big Ten All-Freshman and an honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection.

• Sissoko, a redshirt sophomore from Paris, France who transferred from Syracuse, is averaging 12.9 points and a team-best 6.7 rebounds. She had eight points, nine boards and three assists in the first meeting with the Big Red.

• Sophomore Sara Scalia has been in and out of the Gopher lineup while battling injuries. She missed Minnesota's first two contests before starting the next four games. The 2020 Big Ten All-Freshman and honorable-mention all-conference choice had 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists in Minnesota's win in Lincoln. She hit four threes at NU and is Minnesota's leader with 41 makes on the season despite missing four games. She did not play in Minnesota's 94-62 loss at No. 9 Maryland on Saturday. 

• Alexia Smith, a 5-8 freshman, started in Scalia's place at Maryland and managed two points and three rebounds in 37 minutes. Smith is averaging 4.3 points and 2.3 boards on the year. She had five points and three rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench against Nebraska.

• Former Husker Kayla Mershon has started four straight games in place of Klarke Sconiers at center. Mershon, a 6-3 junior who owns five starts in 14 games, had two points at Maryland but scored six points and grabbed five rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench in the win over Nebraska.

• Sconiers, a 6-2 sophomore, is the third Gopher to play in all 18 games and has made 13 starts. She is averaging 5.7 points and 4.4 rebounds, including 10 points in the win at Nebraska.

• Redshirt senior Gadiva Hubbard is averaging 10.8 points and 3.5 rebounds, after earning honorable-mention All-Big Ten accolades in 2020. She buried five three-pointers, including huge hits in the fourth quarter, to finish with a team-high 18 points in the win at Nebraska. Hubbard, who has played in 13 games with 11 starts, started at Maryland just days after coming off the bench for just 16 minutes in a loss at Rutgers (Feb. 17). She did not play at all in Minnesota's wins over Purdue (Jan. 28), Illinois (Feb. 10) and Wisconsin (Feb. 14), or in losses to Iowa (Jan. 31) and at Ohio State (Feb. 7).

• Laura Bagwell Katalinich, a 6-0 graduate transfer from Cornell, has averaged 5.9 points and 3.2 rebounds for the Gophers. She was a first-team All-Ivy League selection as a junior in 2018-19.

• Caroline Strande (4.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg), early enrollee Katie Borowicz (3.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg) and redshirt freshman Grace Cumming (1.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg) supply Minnesota with more depth.

• As a team, Minnesota is averaging 69.2 points while allowing 80.3 points per game. The Gophers carry a minus-1.5 rebound margin and a minus-2.5 turnover margin, while shooting 39.9 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from three-point range. Opponents are shooting 46.9 percent, including 37.7 percent against the Gophers. The opposition also has hit 78.1 percent of its free throws.

Nebraska vs. Minnesota Series History
• Nebraska leads the all-time series with Minnesota 14-11, but the Gophers claimed a 76-71 win in Lincoln (Jan. 19). The Huskers also dropped a 67-61 decision at Minnesota (Jan. 30, 2020) in the last meeting between the two schools at Williams Arena.  
• In the first meeting this season in Lincoln, Minnesota connected on 15-of-32 three-point attempts, including 5-of-9 shooting from Gadiva Hubbard, 4-of-10 from Sara Scalia and 3-of-8 from Jasmine Powell.

• Sam Haiby (Moorhead, Minn.) led all players with 25 points and 12 rebounds. Ashley Scoggin added 16 points on 4-of-11 three-point shooting. Isabelle Bourne did not play in the first meeting.

• Nebraska owns a 9-6 edge as Big Ten foes.

• Nebraska is 11-4 all-time against Minnesota in Lincoln. The Huskers are 2-7 against Minnesota in Minneapolis and 1-0 against the Gophers in the Big Ten Tournament (March 7, 2014).

• Although women's basketball was not a full varsity sport at Nebraska until 1975-76, a women's team from Nebraska suffered its first defeat at Minnesota in 1904 after going unbeaten between 1897 and 1903. Two weeks after the first meeting with Minnesota, Nebraska beat the same team in Lincoln.

• Minnesota's Laura Coenen scored 42 points for the Gophers in a 90-79 win over the Huskers on Nov. 30, 1984. That effort is tied for the most points by any opponent in a game against the Huskers.

Nebraska Knocks Off Five Top 25 Foes in 2020-21
• Nebraska's win at No. 24 Northwestern (Feb. 17) gave the Huskers their fourth win over an AP Top 25 team at game time - the most wins against ranked foes of any team in the Big Ten. The Huskers also own a win over current No. 25 Rutgers (Jan. 3).

•  The Huskers' win over No. 15 Ohio State (Jan. 16) marked the third time this season that Nebraska played an AP No. 15 team that also entered the game unbeaten (Northwestern, 4-0; Michigan, 7-0; Ohio State, 7-0). 

• Nebraska is 5-4 against AP Top 25 teams (ranked at any point this season) including 4-3 against AP Top 25 teams at game time, including wins over No. 15 Northwestern, No. 15 Ohio State, at No. 23 Michigan State and at No. 24 Northwestern, and losses at No. 15 Indiana, at No. 15 Michigan and to No. 9 Maryland.

• Nebraska, which is somehow No. 75 in the NET rankings, rates among the top 20 teams nationally in the NET with two wins over NET 1-25 (Quad 1) teams (Rutgers, Ohio State) and in the top 25 in the NET with three wins over NET 26-50 (Quad 2) teams (Northwestern-2, Michigan State).

Huskers Sit in Seventh After First Big Ten Events

The Nebraska swimming and diving team had a successful first night of racing at the Big Ten Championships in Minneapolis, MN. After two relay events, Nebraska is in seventh place overall out of 13 conference teams.

The short, first night of races began with the 200 medley relay. The Huskers raced in the second heat of the bunch, defeating both Iowa and Purdue to win the heat. After the other heats in the 200 medley, the Huskers wound up in seventh place (1:39.94), right in the bunch of the conference.

The race was led off by Autumn Haebig, followed by Ella Stein, Caitlin Cairns and anchored by Lexi Kucera. The relay wiped off nearly four seconds from the squad's best time this season. 

In the second race of the evening, Nebraska battled in the 800 freestyle relay. Autumn Haebig led the team into the water, followed by Audrey Coffey, Lexi Kucera and anchored by Shannon Stott. The Huskers gathered another seventh place finish in the event with a time of 7:14.12.

The first day of Big Tens proved to be a good one for Nebraska, as the team is in the middle of a tight race. Michigan and Ohio State lead the conference in a tie for first place with 118 points, followed by Northwestern in third with 106 points. Wisconsin sits closely behind in fourth place with 104 points, while Minnesota and Penn State are caught in a tie for fifth with 96 points.

The Huskers finished the first day with 92 points, just four points away from a potential fifth place tie. The standings are rounded out by Iowa (84), Michigan State (70), Purdue (68), Illinois (64), Indiana (56) and Rutgers (30).

The Big Ten Championships continue tomorrow, beginning with the preliminary races at 11 a.m., followed by the finals at 6:30 p.m.

Husker Rifle Earns NCAA Bid

Lincoln – The Nebraska rifle program earned a bid to the 2021 NCAA Championships on Tuesday, as the Huskers were one of eight teams selected for next month's event during the NCAA Selection Show.

The 2021 individual and team championship will be decided over two days — Friday and Saturday, March 12-13. The Ohio State University will play host at Converse Hall in Columbus, Ohio, with competition beginning at 8:30 a.m. (CT) on March 12 and 8:45 a.m. (CT) on March 13.  The eight-team field includes Air Force, Alaska Fairbanks, Kentucky, Memphis, Nebraska, Ole Miss, TCU and West Virginia.

The 2021 appearance will mark the 18th time the Huskers have qualified for the NCAA Championship since the program began during the 1998-99 season. In all, Nebraska has qualified as a team in nine of the last 10 seasons. The Huskers qualified at the NCAA Championships in 2020, but the event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"After last year's NCAA Championships was canceled, we are so excited to have qualified this year and now have the chance for our athletes to display their skill on the national stage," said Nebraska Rifle Coach Rachel Martin. "It has been a long and hard season, and we will continue to give our very best as we prepare for the Championship."