In a thrilling matchup at the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday night, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, seeded 10th, staged an impressive comeback to secure a 74-70 victory against the seventh-seeded Illinois team, sealing the win with a decisive 13-5 surge in the closing minutes. Freshman standout Britt Prince was instrumental, scoring 17 points and dishing out five assists.
The closing moments of the game saw Prince hit back-to-back jumpers, tying the score at 65 with just over two minutes left on the clock. It was Jessica Petrie who then delivered a crucial three-pointer, giving Nebraska its first lead of the fourth quarter at 1:40 remaining. Despite Illinois’s attempt to stay in the game with two free throws, Nebraska kept the momentum with a pivotal three-shot possession, highlighted by Petrie’s crucial layup assisted by an inbounds pass from Prince. Callin Hake and Prince each contributed two free throws, pushing the lead to 74-67. Illinois managed three free throws in the final seconds but couldn’t close the gap.
Throughout the game, Nebraska demonstrated resilience, ultimately outscoring Illinois 25-14 in a decisive fourth quarter to notch their fifth comeback of the season after trailing by more than ten points.
As they move forward, the Cornhuskers are set to face second-seeded and fourth-ranked UCLA in the quarterfinals on Friday. UCLA had previously dominated Nebraska in their regular-season encounter with a commanding 91-54 victory.
In addition to Prince’s standout performance, Jessica Petrie and Petra Bozan each contributed 11 points for Nebraska, with contributions from all nine players on the roster. For Illinois, Genesis Bryant led the charge with 20 points, while Kendall Bostic and Adalia McKenzie added 19 and 16 points, respectively, with McKenzie also providing 10 assists.
The game began with Illinois taking an early 9-0 advantage, maintaining a slim 32-30 edge at halftime, thanks to Bostic’s 16 first-half points. Despite Prince’s three-pointer early in the third quarter that briefly gave Nebraska the lead at 38-37, Illinois managed to regain control and entered the final quarter with a 56-49 lead, setting the stage for Nebraska’s dramatic rally to victory.
