The Nebraska basketball team looks to have a short memory, as the Huskers return to action Thursday night to take on Delaware State. Tipoff at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 7 p.m. and a limited number of tickets are available by visiting Huskers.com, calling 800-8-BIGRED during business hours or at the Pinnacle Bank Arena box office beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
The Huskers are 1-1 on the season and look to bounce back from an 87-63 loss at the hands of No. 11 Villanova Tuesday night at the Gavitt Tipoff Games. In that game, Nebraska led 23-16 midway thru the first half before going into an extended scoring drought for more than seven minutes, allowing the Wildcats to take control. At times, the Huskers were their own worst enemy, as 22 turnovers led directly to 33 Villanova points, and the Huskers shot just 38 percent from the field.
Despite the loss to the Wildcats, there were several bright spots for the Huskers. Junior transfer Andrew White III led the Huskers with 18 points, matching his career high for the second straight game, and added six rebounds. He is ninth in the Big Ten in scoring entering Thursday’s action. Freshman Glynn Watson Jr. had 12 points and a pair of assists off the bench, while Shavon Shields nearly had a double-double with 12 and eight boards. In all, the Huskers enjoyed a 40-33 advantage on the board and got 22 second-chance points at Villanova.
Delaware State (0-2) visits Lincoln looking for its first win of the season. The Hornets have been in close in both of their losses, dropping a pair of six-point losses to Delaware (62-65) and Penn (60-54). The Hornets, who reached the CBI in 2015, have been solid defensively, allowing 61 points per game and holding teams to 40 percent shooting. Devin Morgan and DeAndre Haywood lead a 10-player rotation in scoring, averaging 11.0 points and 10.0 points per game, respectively, for Coach Keith Walker.
Thursday is first of three straight home games, as Nebraska begins action in the Barclays Classic this weekend. The Huskers will face Southeastern Louisiana Sunday at 6:30 p.m. before hosting Arkansas Pine Bluff Tuesday at 7 p.m.