OU Drops 70-51 Decision to Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. Sophomore Leah Rush scored a game-high 19 points but it wasn't enough as the Oklahoma women's basketball team lost to Nebraska, 70-51, Sunday afternoon inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln.

After junior Laura Andrews cut Nebraska's lead to two points, 47-45, with 12 minutes to play Nebraska outscored the Sooners 23-6 to close the game. The Sooners failed to scored a field goal in the final 5:15 and only produced 51 points total, the second fewest of the season.

OU drops to 12-8 overall and 4-5 in Big 12 action, while the Cornhuskers move to 14-7 and 6-3.

“We did not deserve to win this game,” said OU coach Sherri Coale. “Nebraska out-played us in every phase of the game. We were passive and didn't play together offensively. We were simply out worked.”

Rush scored 10 points on five of seven shooting in 12 minutes in the first half. She was whistled for her second personal foul four minutes into the game. OU's inside presence is what kept he Sooners in the game until the final stretch.

Statistics | Sooner Gameday Central

Senior Dionnah Jackson was the only other Sooner to score in double digits as she added 12 points. She also had nine rebounds, seven assists and two blocked shots. Once again, the St. Louis, Mo., native was solid across the board in both halves. With five defensive rebounds, Jackson came up one shy of tying OU great Phylesha Whaley for second on the program's all-time defensive rebounding chart.

Sophomore Erin Higgins and junior Laura Andrews each had nine points. Lauren Shoush rounded out OU's scoring column by tying the game at 27 with her only jumper of the day at the 1:30 mark in the first half. Andrews and Rush added to their production by earning eight rebounds each.

Sophomore Kendra Moore appeared in her first starting lineup as a Sooner today. She replaced Britney Brown who started against Kansas Wednesday. Moore had one assist and three steals in 22 minutes. Coach Coale tried out her sixth different lineup against the Cornhuskers.

For the second time in the last three games, OU has shot terrible. The Sooners hit just 29.1 percent from the field (21-for-71) and a season-low 9.1 percent from the three-point line (2-for-22). OU has shot below 30 percent from the field three times this year, losing each.

Nebraska's 27 attempted free throws (made 18) were the most by a Big 12 opponent this season. OU was a perfect 7-for-7 from the stripe. There were 25 fouls called on the Sooners, 10 on the Cornhuskers.

Kiera Hardy led NU with 16 points, followed by Danielle Page's 15 from the bench and 12 from Jelena Spiric. Chelsea Aubry grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds as NU won the battle of the boards, 47-42.

With seven games left, OU will host four starting with nationally-ranked Baylor on Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. in Lloyd Noble Center.

Single game women's basketball tickets are just $8 for adults and $5 for youth.