 "Photo: Erin Starkebaum")
 "Photo: Erin Starkebaum")
Saturday’s matchup between the Nebraska women’s basketball team and No. 12 Texas A&M definitely didn’t set any record for points or field goal percentages.
It may, however, have set a new mark for bruises inflicted.
The Huskers knew coming into the game that A&M preferred a physical style of play, and although their shooters struggled, NU prevailed 71-60.
“We knew they would bring it, and they played hard. That’s the Big 12 for you,” Kelsey Griffin said. “You expect it. I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
A&M entered the game as one of the nation’s leaders in fouls, averaging more than 21 per game. The Aggies upheld their reputation Saturday, fouling NU 22 times and knocking several more bodies to the floor.
And in a game where the Huskers’ normally prolific shooters misfired, the inside trio of Cory Montgomery, Catheryn Redmon and Griffin were there to pick up the slack. Montgomery had 18 points, and Redmon scored eight off the bench. Griffin notched yet another double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, giving her a Big 12-leading 11 this season.
NU’s guards also handled A&M’s physicality with poise. The Huskers had 18 assists compared to just 14 turnovers. NU also outrebounded the Aggies 40-37.
“A&M plays a very physical style,” NU head coach Connie Yori said. “Somebody asked me before the game, ‘What happens if you don’t shoot the three well? How are you going to win?’ I told them that we have enough good players to win the game. We’re good enough in some other spots and today was a good example of that.”
After the first two minutes of play, the game appeared to be a mirror image of Wednesday’s blowout victory over No. 10 Oklahoma State. After A&M’s Sydney Carter hit a jump shot to start the game, NU made 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions.
But the Huskers would miss their next 14 3-point attempts, and the Aggies refused to go away. After allowing NU to shoot 50 percent in the first half, A&M played a variety of zone defenses that frustrated NU for most of the second half, despite their previous success against zones this season.
Yori said she didn’t try to switch anything up against the tough A&M zone.
“Mostly we just stayed poised and ran our motion and found the gaps,” Yori said. “We didn’t get stressed out about it.”
NU improved to 21-0 with the victory, surviving what had the potential to be a dangerous week. The Huskers’ wins over two top 15 teams made a statement, something that Dominique Kelley said they had not made in previous years.
“It showed how poised we’ve become to handle their pressure,” Kelley said. “It’s a good example of where we’ve come from and where we’re headed.”
danhoppen@dailynebraskan.com
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