Lincoln — The Nebraska basketball team hits the road for the first time this season, as the No. 21 Huskers travel to Kingston, R.I., to take on the Rhode Island Rams this Saturday.

Tipoff for this intersectional matchup is set for 6:05 p.m. (central) and is being produced by Ocean State Networks in Rhode Island. For fans in Nebraska, it will be televised on DirecTV (Ch. 639) and on Cox Cable in Omaha (Ch. 126). In addition, it is also available to watch online by visiting coxhub.com for $5.

The game will be broadcast across the state of Nebraska by the IMG Husker Sports Radio Network with Kent Pavelka calling the action and Jake Muhleisen adding color commentary. The game can be heard for free on Huskers.com and available on the Huskers’ app on iOS or android devices, as well as on TuneIn Radio.

The Huskers, who are 21st in both the AP and Coaches polls this week, took care of Central Arkansas on Tuesday with an 82-56 win. Nebraska got a game-high 23 points from Terran Petteway and a double-double from junior Shavon Shields (16 points and 11 rebounds), while Nebraska held UCA to just 33 percent shooting from the field. Shields scored all 16 of his points in the first half, including seven in an 11-2 spurt to give Nebraska breathing room entering the second half.

While Petteway leads the Big Ten in scoring at 24 points per game, the junior guard is one of four Huskers averaging double figures heading into Saturday’s tilt. Junior forward Shavon Shields is 12th in the Big Ten in scoring at 17.5 points per game on 72 pecent shooting and 10th in rebounding at 7.5 caroms per outing.

For the Huskers, the continued defensive intensity will be key for success on the road, as one of the biggest lessons NU learned last season was that defense can win on the road. The Huskers closed the 2013-14 season by winning three of its final four road games, holding opponents to just 36 percent shooting and 55 points per game. That included wins at Michigan State and Indiana. Prior to that, NU went winless in its first seven road contests of 2013-14, as foes shot 46 percent and averaged 73 points per game.

Rhode Island, which was picked sixth in the Atlantic-10 preseason poll, is also 2-0 on the year coming off a 72-56 win over UMass-Lowell on Sunday. The Rams are averaging 83 points per game and have four players averaging at least 11.5 points per game. Hassan Martin leads the Rams with 19.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, while E.C. Matthews, who played with Terran Petteway and Shavon Shields at adidas Nations camp this summer, is one of three Rams players averaging 11.5 points per game.

Numbers 2 Know
2000-01- Prior to this season, the last time that Nebraska scored 80 or more points in its first two games of the season. The last time NU opened with three games of 80+ points came in 1992-93.

9 – Consecutive shots that David Rivers has made dating back to last year’s NCAA Tournament. Rivers made his last two shots against Baylor and is 7-of-7 from the field in 2014-15. NU’s record for consecutive baskets is 15 by Ade Dagunduro in 2008-09.

21.0 – Nebraska is averaging 21.0 points per game off opponent’s turnovers during the first two contests.

Scouting Rhode Island
Rhode Island comes into Saturday’s game with a 2-0 record following wins over Pace and UMass-Lowell last weekend. The Rams are coached by Dan Hurley, who is in his third year at URI after turning around the Wagner program in two seasons. The son of legendary coach Bob Hurley Sr., Dan helped Wagner win 25 games in his final season at the school. URI, which was picked to finished sixth in the Atlantic-10 preseason poll, returns seven of their top eight scorers from a team that went 14-18. The returnees are led by sophomore guard E.C. Matthews, who averaged 14.6 points per game en route to being named Atlantic-10 Co-Rookie of the Year and senior Gilvydas Biruta, who averaged 10.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Matthews was a second-team preseason All-Atlantic 10 pick, while Biruta was a third-team pick. Sophomore Hassan Martin anchors the inside, as he has averaged 19.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in their two wins so far.

Series History: Saturday’s meeting is just the second between the two teams and the first since the 2011-12 season. In that game, Bo Spencer scored 23 points to pace the Huskers, while Caleb Walker added 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting. The Huskers shot 47 percent, including 10-of-23 from 3-point range while URI shot 38 percent. David Rivers, who played eight minutes off the bench, is the only Nebraska player who played in that matchup.

Last Time Out
Terran Petteway’s 23 points led three Huskers in double figures, while No. 21 Nebraska clamped down defensively in the second half in posting an 82-56 win over Central Arkansas.

 

The Huskers held Central Arkansas to just 30 percent shooting in the second half to pull away over the final 20 minutes. In all, NU held UCA to 33 percent shooting and turned 18 turnovers into 20 Husker points.

Petteway hit 8-of-17 shots from the field for his second 20-point effort of the year, and was backed up by Shavon Shields and Tai Webster, who combined for 29 points in the win. Shields posted his fourth career double-double with 16 points – all in the first half – and 11 rebounds, while Webster finished with 13 points and matched his personal best with four steals.

Shields keyed the Huskers’ decisive first-half run, scoring seven points in an 11-2 spurt that turned a 32-30 lead into an 11-point cushion. The 6-foot-7 junior scored five straight points, as his steal and dunk made it 37-30 before he capped the run with a layup off a Central Arkansas turnover, putting NU ahead 43-32 which was the Huskers’ largest lead to that point.

The Huskers, who saw a nine-point halftime lead cut to 47-42 after a Jake Zuilhof basket with 16:45 left, then took over. NU ran off 13 unanswered points over the next five minutes to make it an 18-point lead, at 60-42. David Rivers and Petteway combined for eight points before a 3-pointer from Benny Parker and a long jumper by Walter Pitchford put the Huskers firmly in control.

Notes from Tuesday’s win

• Nebraska’s 82 points was NU’s highest total since also scoring 82 against Minnesota on Jan. 26, 2014.
• Huskers scored 80 or more points for the second straight game, marking only the sixth time NU has reached the 80-point mark. Nebraska is 5-1 in those contests. It is also the second time in Miles’ three seasons where NU scored 80 points in consecutive games.
• Nebraska held Central Arkansas to 56 points after averaging 76 points per game in the first two contests. Nebraska held UCA to just 0.77 points per possession. The Huskers have held both opponents to under 38 percent shooting.
• Nebraska has now won its last 10 home non-conference games dating back to the 2012-13 season and is 16-2 in home non-conference games under Tim Miles.
• Nebraska has now won its last 10 home games dating back to Jan. 20, 2014.
• Terran Petteway finished with 23 points, his second 20-point effort of the year and 14th of his career. Petteway has now been in double figures for 13 straight games dating back to last season.
• Shavon Shields posted his fourth career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Shields’ 11 rebounds is his highest total since grabbing 13 againat Michigan State as a freshman.
• Benny Parker’s 3-pointer in the second half was his first since Dec. 3, 2012.

Petteway Named to Wooden award Preseason Top 50
Nebraska basketball standout Terran Petteway was tabbed for the Wooden Award Men’s Preseason Top 50 Monday afternoon. Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for the sport’s most prestigious honor.

Petteway earned a spot on the list after an outstanding sophomore season where he averaged 18.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. The 6-foot-6 wing led the Big Ten in scoring – becoming the first Husker in more than six decades to lead the conference in scoring for a season – and had a pair of 30-point games on the season, including a career-high 35 points against Minnesota. He was his best against the Huskers’ toughest foes, averaging 20.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in 12 games against top-50 competition to help the Huskers reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.

Huskers Among the Ranked
The Huskers opened the 2014-15 season in the national rankings for the first time since the 1994-95 season, as the Huskers are 21st in both the AP and coaches polls. It marks the first time since Jan. 2, 1995, that Nebraska is nationally ranked and just the second time in AP poll history and first since 1992 that the Huskers opened the season as a ranked team. Nebraska is now 36-18 (.667) when ranked all-time in program history following Tuesday’s win over Central Arkansas. In addition to the AP and Coaches polls, other publications have taken notice of the Huskers as well.

While the Big Ten only releases the top three teams in its preseason poll (Wisconsin, Ohio State and Michigan State), the league’s beat writers do an informal poll where the Huskers were picked fourth. The Huskers were picked 12th (among 12 teams at the time) in the preseason in both 2012-13 and 2013-14, and finished 10th and fourth, respectively. In other preseason publications, Nebraska was picked as high as second (Athlon) to as low as sixth (ESPN).

Petteway Leads Husker Returnees
Junior wing Terran Petteway comes into 2014-15 as one of the nation’s premier players. The 6-foot-6 junior wing has been featured on several lists of top players in college basketball and was chosen second-team preseason All-American by The Sporting News and CBSSports.com. As a sophomore, he led the Big Ten in scoring at 18.1 points per game while adding 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest, while starting all 32 contests. Not only did he lead the Huskers in scoring, but also was second on the team in rebounding and third in assists.

Early on, Petteway has been a force for the Huskers, averaging a Big Ten-leading 24.0 points per game, along with 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. He leads the Big Ten with an average of 4.5 3-pointers per game during the early season. Petteway has been in double figures in NU’s last 13 games dating back to last season and has
Petteway opened the season with the best long-distance shooting of his career, hitting 6-of-9 from 3-point range on his way to scoring a game-high 25 points against Northern Kentucky on Nov. 15. He followed up with a 23-point effort in Tuesday’s win over Central Arkansas.

This season, Petteway looks to become the first player since Ohio State’s Evan Turner (2009-10) to lead the Big Ten in scoring in consecutive seasons. Over the last 30 years, only three players – Turner, Purdue’s Glenn Robinson (1993-94) and Michigan’s Glen Rice (1988-89) – have accomplished the feat.

Nebraska has had eight All-Americans in program history, most recently Carl McPipe during the 1977-78 season.

Last season, Petteway became the first player to earn unanimous first-team all-conference honors since Venson Hamilton in 1999, and also earned first-team all-district honors by the NABC (coaches) and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (writers).

Petteway finished Big Ten play as the conference scoring leader, averaging 18.6 points per game. He became the fifth Husker in the last century to lead a conference in scoring in conference games and first since former Big Eight Player of the Year Andre Smith in 1980-81. He also led the conference at 18.1 points per game in all games and became the first Husker since 1950 (first year the Big Seven Conference kept records) to ever lead the league in scoring for all games.

Petteway finished seventh on Nebraska’s single-season scoring list with 579 points, as only Dave Hoppen, Tyronn Lue, Eric Piatkowski, and Andre Smith have scored more points in a season. He also finished second on the Huskers’ single-season free throw list with 167.

Shields Keys Husker Attack
While Petteway has become one of the best players in the Big Ten, the emergence of junior Shavon Shields is equally vital to the Huskers attack. The 6-foot-7 wing started all 32 games and averaged 12.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game to earn honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media. As a sophomore, Shields was second on the team in scoring and led Nebraska in rebounding. Shields is one of four returnees to rank in the top 15 in both scoring and rebounding in Big Ten play last year, joining Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin), Rayvonte Rice (Illinois) and Aaron White (Iowa).

Shields has started the last 53 games dating back to the middle of his freshman season, the longest streak on the team. This season, he is averaging 17 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Shields has been exceptionally efficient, shooting 73 percent from the floor and 86 percent from the foul line. In the opener, he scored 18 points on just four field goals, as he went a perfect 10-of-10 from the line. Shields collected his first double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds while also dishing out four assists.

Last season, Shields played some of his best basketball since moving to his natural wing position in February, averaging 15.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 49 percent from the field over NU’s last 12 contests. The Huskers went 8-4 over that stretch.
Shields earned Big Ten Co-Player of the Week for his efforts during the last week of the season, averaging 21.5 points per game in wins over Indiana and Wisconsin, as he had 26 points against the ninth-ranked Badgers and 17 points and eight rebounds in the win at Indiana.

His best offensive effort came against Illinois on Feb. 12, when he scored a career-high 33 points, hitting 8-of-12 shots from the field and all 15 of his free throws. Shields tied Nebraska’s single-game record for free throws without a miss and became only the 11th Big Ten player to hit at least 15 free throws without a miss and the first since 1997.

Pitchford Poses Problems for Opponents
Junior forward Walter Pitchford became one of the focal points to the Huskers’ attack in Big Ten play last season. The 6-foot-10, 237-pounder is one of the toughest matchups in college basketball, as he is a skilled shooter who hit 41 percent from 3-point range. Last season, Pitchford averaged 9.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while starting 31 games.

An outstanding athlete with a 42-inch vertical leap, Pitchford played some of his best basketball of the season over the Huskers’ second-half surge, averaging 11.0 points per game on 53 percent shooting over the last 14 games. Pitchford reached double figures 11 times in that stretch including a career-high 18-point effort along with five rebounds and a pair of steals in a win at No. 9 Michigan State on Feb. 16. Pitchford sparked NU’s win at Indiana with 17 points and nine rebounds, as he scored the Huskers’ first nine points and then delivered a 3-pointer with 1:55 left to give Nebraska a four-point cushion.

Pitchford has had a slow start offensively, averaging just 3.5 points per game, but has found other ways to make an impact. Against Northern Kentucky, he had four rebounds and matched his career high with three blocked shots in 26 minutes of work and had four rebounds in 20 minutes vs. Central Arkansas.

Defense Keyed Second-Half Improvement
In 2013-14, the Huskers’ biggest in-season improvements came on the defensive end. The Huskers entered Big Ten play last in field goal defense and eighth in scoring defense, but dramatically improved during conference action.

Over the final 16 games of the 2013-14, NU held 10 opponents below 40 percent shooting from the field, including eight straight foes in one stretch. The eight consecutive foes under 40 percent was the longest streak by a Husker defense in at least four decades. The Huskers finished Big Ten play second in conference games in field goal percentage (.415) and third in scoring defense (63.4).

• The Huskers improved from 102nd to 29th in defensive efficiency by KenPom in 2013-14.
• Nebraska has been stout at home over the last two seasons, as only three teams have shot over 45 percent against the Huskers, while 11 of 18 opponents have been held to under 40 percent shooting. Northern Kentucky shot just 36 percent while Central Arkansas was held to 33 percent.