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Amiah Hargrove Drops 26 as Nebraska Blasts Penn State 101–83 in Big Ten Opener

Nebraska scored 67 second-half points behind a career night from Amiah Hargrove.
Trevor Tarr|
Nebraska's Amiah Hargrove is averaging 10.8 points, 6.8 rebound, and 1.0 assists in Huskers 9-0 start.
Nebraska's Amiah Hargrove is averaging 10.8 points, 6.8 rebound, and 1.0 assists in Huskers 9-0 start. | Tyler Orsburn/News Herald / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Nebraska CornhuskersPenn State Nittany Lions

It was one of those Saturdays in Husker Nation where everything seemed to be happening at once. Volleyball prepared to take on Kansas State. Football moved on from Donovan Raiola and landed a new offensive line coach. The news was breaking every hour.

And right in the middle of the chaos, Nebraska women’s basketball quietly improved to 9–0.

By the time they walked off the floor with a 101–83 win at Penn State, though, they were impossible to overlook. Powered by a career-high 26 points from sophomore forward Amiah Hargrove and a second-half offensive avalanche, the Huskers opened Big Ten play with, maybe, their most impressive win yet.

Nebraska didn’t look like a team ready to drop 101 points in the opening minutes. Penn State’s pressure bothered the Huskers early, forcing a slower tempo and limiting clean looks around the rim. Nebraska trailed 38–34 at halftime and was searching for a spark on a day when its usual offensive rhythm hadn’t fully clicked. Hargrove herself had just seven points on 2-of-5 shooting, but the coaching staff clearly trusted the sophomore’s energy, giving her an extended run off the bench.

Everything changed the moment the third quarter started. Hargrove attacked the Nittany Lions' defense with a confidence that felt immediate, scoring at the rim, stepping into open jumpers, and knocking down all three of her attempts from beyond the arc. She put up 19 points in the second half alone, finishing the game 8-of-9 after the break and spearheading one of the most explosive scoring stretches Nebraska has produced all season.

Her energy bled into every player on the floor. Nebraska pushed the pace, flattened out Penn State’s defense, and ripped off 67 second-half points, by far the most they’ve scored in any half this season. While she didn't start the game, Hargrove logged the third-most minutes on the team and delivered her fourth straight double-figure performance, cementing her growing role in Amy Williams’ rotation.

Hargrove wasn’t alone. Nebraska’s ball movement sharpened dramatically after the half, with five different Huskers finishing in double figures and the team shooting over 65 percent in the final 20 minutes. Penn State simply couldn’t keep up once Nebraska turned stops into transition buckets and repeatedly beat the Lady Lions off the dribble. What began as a grind-it-out conference opener turned into a track meet, and one that Nebraska firmly controlled from every angle after the break.

With the victory, Nebraska not only moves to 9–0 but also stamps its first true road win of the season in convincing fashion. It marks the third time the Huskers have crossed the 100-point threshold, and with Nebraska now averaging 90.7 points per game, a sign of how potent this offense can be when everything syncs. And if Hargrove’s emergence continues at this trajectory, Nebraska’s depth becomes one of its most dangerous weapons in the Big Ten.

After the win, Nebraska now turns its attention back home, where the Huskers will host Omaha at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Mavericks enter at 1–8, and on paper, Nebraska will be a heavy favorite. But the Huskers have already seen what can happen when they let a Summit League opponent hang around. North Dakota State pushed them deep into the fourth quarter earlier this season, and it serves as a reminder that even in mismatches, focus and tempo matter.

Still, the matchup offers an opportunity for Nebraska to keep building on what has made this 9–0 start so impressive. With Hargrove surging, the backcourt firing efficiently, and the rotation playing some of its most cohesive basketball, the Huskers have a chance to sharpen details before re-entering the teeth of Big Ten play.

If Saturday’s second half was any indication, Nebraska’s ceiling continues to rise. A strong performance against Omaha would push the Huskers to double-digit wins before mid-December and further solidify their case as one of the most complete squads in the land. For now, the win at Penn State stands as another statement, and a sign that this group is only getting better.

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Trevor Tarr
TREVOR TARR

Trevor Tarr is the founder of Skers Scoop, a Nebraska football media outlet delivering original coverage through writing, graphics, and video content. He began his career in collegiate athletics at the University of South Dakota, producing media for the football team and assisting with athletic fundraising. A USD graduate with a background in journalism and sports marketing, Trevor focuses on creative, fan-driven storytelling in college football.

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