Game Preview: No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. Nebraska
On Wednesday, the Big Ten will play basketball in honor of Valentine’s Day. At that point, the No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball team will be playing against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, a squad that has a history of upsetting the No. 2 ranked teams, in a conference match.
The Cornhuskers, led by head coach Amy Williams, will visit Columbus in an attempt to duplicate victories over teams in second place. The Big Red defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes, who were ranked second at the time, on Sunday. They want to pull off another upset victory on Wednesday night. The Big Red trailed 14 points going into the fourth quarter.
For the past two seasons, center Alexis Markowski and guard Jaz Shelley have been inextricably linked with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Both will be starting players against the Buckeyes, but Nebraska has two potent freshmen that can cause problems for the red and gray.
Shelley is the conduit for the offense. Shelley proved to be the Cornhuskers’ savior when they needed her in their victory on Sunday. Leading Nebraska with 23 points and five steals, the Australian graduating senior’s total score featured five 3-pointers. In addition, Nebraska sealed the victory with four free throws after a three-pointer with 31 seconds left in the fourth quarter gave them the lead.
Shelley is a great scorer on offense, but has suffered with some injury difficulties in the past several seasons. Shelley’s scoring has been uneven this year as a result, but she seems to be becoming comfortable as the Cornhuskers fight for a position in the NCAA Tournament.
Shelley has scored double digits points in every game for the past six games, which is the longest streak of the season. In all three stages, Shelley is able to shoot. Her 2.3 three-pointers per game are but a portion of the picture. In addition, Shelley will drive to the hoop, cross the free throw line, and, if there is room, attempt a midrange shot.
On top of scoring, Shelley is averaging 4.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.5 steals per game. The guard can take over a game if the Buckeyes aren’t careful because she is always on the court.
Freshman guard Logan Nissley comes off the bench next to Shelley. The native of North Dakota doesn’t back down from challenging opponents. Despite being the No. 2 team in the nation, Nissley did not falter in Sunday’s victory over the Hawkeyes, scoring 15 points.
Her offensive skill includes deep shooting. With the Hawkeyes, the guard scored three points. The Cornhuskers use every player on their roster, with ten players averaging at least 10 minutes every game, even though she is unlikely to start.
The second big name to keep an eye on is Markowski. The 6-foot-2 center has spent the previous two seasons getting to know the Buckeyes. Markowski has collected 23 rebounds and scored a total of 38 points in two games versus Ohio State. As a freshman, Markowski produced a double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds. Markowski’s junior version is considerably more superior.
The center has boosted her scoring to a career best 16.4 per game. Markowski makes 51.5% of her shots from within the arc during those points. She’ll shoot from a distance as well, but not as successfully.In addition to having a partner in freshman forward Natalie Potts, who doesn’t average a double-double like her post-mate Markowski, but who is establishing herself in the paint and out, Markowski is more dangerous this season because of her increased focus on strength and conditioning during the offseason. The 6-foot-2 forward is quick and big, and she can play defense around the perimeter as well as finesse defenders inside the paint. Markowski and Potts’ aggressive nature near the basket could pose a threat to the Buckeyes, especially when it comes to fouls. Fortunately for Ohio State’s post players, Big Ten games
