Tear’s Laudermill goes for a layup (photo/NU Athletics)
No. 15 Nebraska scored a season-high 50 second-half points to turn a 14-point first-half deficit into a 15-point win, as the Huskers notched a 75-60 victory over Michigan Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Tear’a Laudermill finished as Nebraska’s leading scorer for the fourth straight game, closing with 19 points, including 13 in the second half. Eleven of Laudermill’s points came in a 2:33 span late in the second half, including three straight threes to finish off the Wolverines.
In the second half, following a 16-6 surge by Michigan, Nebraska scored 11 straight points to take its biggest lead of the game to that point at 56-51 with 6:07 left. Michigan cut the margin back to one possession on a layup with 5:58 left to make it 56-53, before Laudermill came up with a steal and found Natalie Romeo on the left side to give the Big Red a 58-53 lead.
Laudermill came up with another steal just moments later then hit a pair of free throws to push NU’s margin to 60-53. It was the start of 11 straight points for Laudermill, who buried three consecutive threes to put the Wolverines away and extend Nebraska’s lead to 69-56 with 2:46 left.
The Huskers finished the game with a 15-point margin – their largest lead of the game – to complete the 29-point turnaround in the contest.
Nebraska improved to 17-4 overall and 7-3 in the Big Ten while producing its 17th straight February win dating back to the 2011-12 season. Michigan slipped to 13-8 overall and 5-5 in the conference.
Nebraska returns to Big Ten road action on Thursday when the Huskers travel to Piscataway, N.J., to take on No. 22 Rutgers. Tip-off between the Big Red and the Scarlet Knights is set for 6 p.m. (CT)