Nebraska Looks to Clean Things Up Against Oral Roberts After Grind-It-Out Win

In the days following an 82-70 neutral-court victory against the North Dakota State Bison, Nebraska women's basketball coach Amy Williams met with the media to recap her team's performance and preview their matchup with Oral Roberts on Nov. 19.

Nebraska women’s basketball returns home Wednesday night looking for cleaner execution, better rebounding, and sharper defensive discipline. After the chance to watch the tape, Williams didn’t sugarcoat what she saw on film.

“It was a little worse than we thought,” the head coach admitted. “North Dakota State is a really quality opponent that exposed some things. They were really physical.”

The Huskers still walked away with the win, but the tape made clear where improvement is needed, especially as Nebraska prepares for Oral Roberts’ radically different offensive style.

The biggest issue that arose in Sioux Falls was rebounding. Nebraska surrendered 13 offensive boards, an uncharacteristic number for a Williams-coached team.

“That’s something we’ve been talking about taking a lot of pride in,” Williams said. “Without Alexis Markowski in our lineup, we’ve got to have everybody contributing in that area.”

The Bison also challenged Nebraska’s ball-screen defense, an area Williams said “we’re going to be working really hard to improve.”

Still, the game wasn’t without bright spots, especially in a frontcourt that's starting to find its identity without Markowski.

Sophomore Amiah Hargrove delivered her most complete performance as a Husker, scoring a career-high 17 points on perfect shooting while bringing the physicality Nebraska needed off the bench. Amy Williams joked afterward, “Thank goodness she got on the bus,” but the impact was no joke. Hargrove gave Nebraska a reliable interior scoring option when possessions stalled.

Junior forward Jessica Petrie added 12 points of her own and continued to look like the stabilizer of the group. Williams called her “the most solid, [and] stable” of the group, and Sunday was another example of her versatility as both a scoring threat and a defender who can slide between the four and five.

The committee approach extends beyond those two. Eliza Maupin looked noticeably more confident in her second game back from injury, and Williams said Petra Bozan, though quieter on the stat sheet, has shown in practice that she’s capable of giving Nebraska quality minutes as the rotation settles.

Replacing Markowski, the program’s first four-time all-conference honoree, was always going to require more than one player. But performances like Sunday’s win over NDSU suggest this group has the depth, scoring balance and toughness to grow into a strength rather than a question mark as the season moves forward.

Nebraska guard Britt Prince dribbles the ball up the court against Creighton. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Sophomore guard Britt Prince continues to elevate Nebraska’s backcourt, and Amy Williams made it clear her improvement is no surprise. Prince has always been able to score, but what’s stood out this season is her growth as a ball-handler in live-game situations, something Williams said has been years in the making. Much of that development, she added, comes from graduate assistant and 12-year pro Marissa Kastanek, who is “constantly in her grill” during workouts, along with consistent reps against male practice players who challenge her to expand her game beyond scoring.

Nebraska also got a boost from redshirt freshman Kennadi Williams, whose return from two knee injuries has been one of the season’s more encouraging storylines. Her energy and toughness immediately popped, and Williams said it’s meaningful to see her finally reap the rewards of her work. “She’s just so hungry. She doesn’t take any opportunity for granted.”

Defensively, Kennadi gives the Huskers a different edge. She’s shown a natural ability to frustrate ball-handlers, something the staff embraces. “She can be pesky and make things difficult,” Williams said. “She knows the one thing [she] can control is to be annoying and glued into the scouting report.”

With Prince emerging as a more complete lead guard and Kennadi carving out a role as a defensive spark, Nebraska’s backcourt depth is rounding into form, and giving the Huskers a foundation to build on as the season progresses.

Natalie Potts hits an open-court lay-up. | Amarillo Mullen

As Nebraska shifts its focus to Oral Roberts, Williams emphasized that Wednesday's matchup will look nothing like the grind-it-out battle against North Dakota State. The Golden Eagles rely heavily on dribble-drive action, penetration, and creative shot-making, a stark contrast from the screen-heavy, physical style the Huskers just faced.

“Oral Roberts is going to be uniquely different,” Williams said. “A lot of dribble drive and way more penetration... not much like we just saw.”

For Nebraska, the quick turnaround means recalibrating its defensive philosophy in a matter of days. The key will be limiting downhill drives, keeping guards in front, and contesting the close to mid-range attempts ORU thrives on. Williams emphasized that this style change will test her team’s communication and discipline on the perimeter.

But the bigger point of emphasis for the Huskers is finishing possessions. After allowing 13 offensive rebounds to North Dakota State, Williams said securing the glass must take priority regardless of opponent. “We really need to finish defensive possessions with rebounds,” she said. “That’s where we need to make the biggest gains right now.”

If the Huskers can contain drives, protect the paint, and clean up the defensive boards, they’ll put themselves in a strong position to be undefeated heading into the Emerald Coast Classic in Florida next week.

Amy Williams reacts during the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

For the Huskers, Wednesday night is about taking another step forward. The pieces are beginning to emerge as time goes on, and this group continues to show flashes of what it can become. Against an Oral Roberts team that thrives off penetration and pressure, Nebraska gets the kind of test that can accelerate its growth. Handle the details, protect the paint, and the Huskers can head into Thanksgiving with real momentum.

Tomorrow night is sure to be a test, but if Williams’ comments are any indication, her squad will be ready to answer the call. And after a learning opportunity that still resulted in a win, expect Nebraska to come out with purpose inside Pinnacle Bank Arena against ORU.

More From Nebraska On SI

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.