What Nebraska-Creighton series history tells us about the importance of 3-point shooting

Nebraska womens basketball player Callin Hake summed it up as well as anyone could.

I think in South Dakota we shot the crap out of it, which is awesome, the guard from Minnesota said.

On that night last weekend in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the Huskers made a school-record 20 3-pointers on 58% shooting beyond the arc in a 113-70 win against South Dakota.

That was three more than the previous record, from 2010.

Now comes another game against Creighton where the series at times has at times been defined by the 3-point line both the ability to make and defend it.

The 3-point line is something to watch closely again when the Huskers and Bluejays play at 4 p.m.

Friday at Sokol Arena in Omaha, a few hours before the mens teams from the same schools play at CHI Health Center Omaha.

Creighton (1-2) has won two straight in the series.

Last year, Morgan Maly made three 3-pointers in the first three minutes of the game and Creighton led the entire game while winning 79-74.

Creighton didnt keep its hot 3-point shooting going the entire game but made nine and outscored the Huskers by 18 points beyond the arc.

Nebraska was 3-for-21 on 3-pointers.

In 2022, Creighton blasted the Huskers 77-51 after making five of its first eight 3-pointers.

One thing I know is they (Creighton) all shoot it pretty well, Nebraska coach Amy Williams said.

Last year we gave up eight made threes in the first quarter.

Thats something well have to shore up.

Theyre very, very good off the ball with their movement and cuts so youre positioning really matters.

Well have to make the hustle plays and not give them second-chance opportunities.

Creighton has won seven of the last eight meetings with the Huskers.

The Bluejays are averaging 10.4 made threes per game during the stretch, while Nebraska is averaging 3.6.

The 5-0 and 21st-ranked Huskers faced a major dose of adversity this week when sophomore forward Natalie Potts sustained a season-ending knee injury during Tuesdays game against North Alabama.

Shes scheduled for surgery in two weeks.

Williams called the injury is devastating.

What a start shes had to the season, leading our team in scoring and rebounding, Williams said.

She worked really hard this offseason.

Creighton has reached the NCAA Tournament the past three seasons, making the Elite Eight in 2022, the first round in 2023 and the second round in 2024 with several of the same players that are on the team this year.

Creighton may be the most experienced team the Huskers face all season, as the Bluejay playing rotation includes five graduate students, two seniors and two juniors.

Were incredibly familiar with their roster, and theyre incredibly familiar with our roster, Williams said.

Creighton guard Lauren Jensen has already gone off this season, scoring a career-high 32 in an 80-72 win against Drake.

She was 6-for-10 on threes and made each of her six two-point shots.

One thing new to the series for Nebraska is Britt Prince, the freshman from Elkhorn North getting her first taste of playing against her hometown school.

In the past two games combined, Prince is 15 for 21 shooting.

Shes driving to the basket, and also shooting 3s.

Shes gotten more aggressive, and Id like to see her be even more aggressive, Williams said.

The 113-70 win against South Dakota showed the Huskers what it can look like this season.

The Huskers zipped passes around the perimeter to get lots of good 3-point chances.

Nebraska had 33 assists on 41 field goals.

Hake felt like a lot of inside-outside passes helped the Huskers to the fourth-best scoring total in program history.

When you have posts that are willing to kick it out and give you dimes for passes that makes shooting in a guards job a lot easier, Hake said.

I think we really wanted to carry that forward.

But we dont want to live and die by the three.

Nebraska (5-0) G Britt Prince; 5-11; Fr.; 13.0 G Callin Hake; 5-8; Jr.; 6.0 G Alberte Rimdal; 5-9; Sr.; 10.4 G Logan Nissley; 6-0; So.; 8.0 C Alexis Markowski; 6-3; Sr.; 13.8 Creighton (1-2) Player; Ht.; Yr.; PPG.

G Molly Mogensen; 5-7; Sr.; 6.0 G Lauren Jensen; 5-10; Sr.; 21.3 G Kiani Lockett; 5-8; Jr.; 11.3 G Mallory Brake; 6-0; Sr.; 2.7 F Morgan Maly; 6-1; Sr.; 15.3 Reach the writer at 402-473-7435 or [email protected] .

On Twitter @LJSSportsWagner.

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