Courtesy of Husker Athletics
Corvallis, Ore. – Jaz Shelley finished with 10 points, six rebounds and seven assists in her final game as a Husker, but No. 6 seed Nebraska dropped a 61-51 defensive struggle to No. 3 seed Oregon State in the second round of the the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Gill Coliseum Sunday.
Nebraska finished its season with a 23-12 overall record that included an 11-7 Big Ten mark and a runner-up finish at the 2024 TIAA Big Ten Tournament. AP No. 12 Oregon State improved to 26-7 overall and advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen next week in Albany, N.Y.
First-team All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski added eight points and eight rebounds in a head-to-head battle with All-Pac 12 center Raegan Beers, who finished with 10 points and six boards.
Talia von Oelhoffen did the most damage for the Beavers with 19 points, five rebounds and eight assists while connecting on 5-of-11 three-pointers. Freshman Timea Gardiner added 17 points, including eight in the first quarter and nine in the fourth for OSU.
The Huskers fell behind 19-6 in the first but rallied to cut the lead to 19-11 at the end of the opening period. Nebraska then won a low-scoring second quarter, 10-9, as OSU carried a 28-21 edge to the half.
The Huskers trimmed the margin to just two possessions entering the fourth, winning the lowest-scoring quarter of the season, 8-7, to make it 35-29 OSU heading to the final 10 minutes.
But the Beavers opened the fourth with three consecutive three-pointers to take their biggest lead of the game to that point at 44-29. The margin grew as large as 17, but the Huskers refused to quit, eventually cutting the lead back to single digits in the final minute.
Senior Annika Stewart helped the Big Red off the bench with eight points and a pair of threes, while graduate guard Darian White and sophomore Callin Hake each pitched in six points off the bench.
All-Big Ten Freshman Logan Nissley added seven points and four rebounds, while senior Kendall Coley contributed four points and three boards. Big Ten Freshman of the Year Natalie Potts rounded out NU’s scoring with two points.
Oregon State’s defense held Nebraska to just 31.3 percent (21-67) shooting, including just 4-of-20 threes. At one point, the Huskers were 1-for-15 from long range. NU matched the Beavers on the boards at 36 and won the turnover battle, 15-10.
OSU managed to hit 40.7 percent (22-54) from the field, including 10-of-33 threes (.303), while going 7-for-10 at the free throw line.
Nebraska expects to return full-time starters Markowski and Potts along with part-time starters Kendall Moriarty, Nissley and Hake next season. Kendall Coley and Jessica Petrie are also expected to return along with redshirt junior Allison Weidner, who was a starter for the Huskers in 2021-22 and 2022-23 before suffering a pair of knee injuries. Nebraska will also welcome two-time Nebraska High School Player of the Year Britt Prince and Illinois high school star Amiah Hargrove.
