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Big Ten Basketball: Nebraska stuns 16th ranked Indiana in Bloomington

By Lukas Harkins

Dec 28, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers bench reacts as they have a lead and eventually upset the Indiana Hoosiers at Assembly Hall. Nebraska defeats Indiana 87-83. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 28, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers bench reacts as they have a lead and eventually upset the Indiana Hoosiers at Assembly Hall. Nebraska defeats Indiana 87-83. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nebraska got off to a fast start in Big Ten basketball conference play by going into Assembly Hall and defeating the 16th ranked Indiana Hoosiers.

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Winning on the road is not an easy thing for any team in the Big Ten. Winning on the road in Assembly Hall is even more difficult. And that is exactly what Nebraska did on Wednesday night. They came out and played 40 minutes of tough, physical basketball to pull out a huge 87-83 victory over Indiana.

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Both Tai Webster (21 points) and Glynn Watson Jr. (26 points) went over 20 points, while Jeriah Horne also knocked home three deep balls en route to 11 points off the bench. Meanwhile for the Hoosiers, all five Indiana starters scored in double figures.

However, Indiana received practically no help from their bench. Tom Crean played five players off of the pine and they were only able to contribute a combined 12 points. Nebraska, on the other hand, only went three deep into their bench to the tune of 21 total points.

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In a game that exhibited a fair amount of pace, the other difference maker came in creating turnovers. Nebraska turned the ball over 13 times, which seems like a high number, but pales in comparison to the 19 turnovers committed by Indiana. The Hoosiers could not take care of the ball in yet another game, and it came back to cost them in the end.

After taking a three-point lead with 4:37 to play, Indiana’s defense fell apart and their offense sputtered down the stretch. Tom Crean’s team allowed Nebraska to close the game on a 17-10 run.

If Indiana wants to win the Big Ten, they’ll need to be much stronger throughout the entire 40 minutes of play.

Indiana, now with losses to Butler, Nebraska, and Fort Wayne, still touts two of the best wins in the country, against North Carolina and Kansas, leaving their resume in fine shape. The Hoosiers stay in Indiana (Bankers Life Fieldhouse as a neutral site) for their next game, which comes against a top-10 opponent in the Louisville Cardinals.

For the Cornhuskers, this was far and away their best game of the season. They’ve already had two three-game losing streaks during the non-conference schedule, so this win could help carry them through the next few games.

Their next game comes on the road against Maryland, which will be another very difficult game. If, however, Nebraska finds a way to start their Big Ten schedule 2-0 with two huge road wins, maybe Nebraska will start to get some more attention.

Next: Previewing the early season bubble

This win could jumpstart a Nebraska team coming off of a rough non-conference slate. They are a long shot for the tournament, but if college basketball has taught me anything, it is that anything can happen.

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