Hoosiers Now

LIVE BLOG: Follow Indiana's Basketball Game With Nebraska in Real Time

The Big Ten regular season gets underway for Indiana on Saturday when the Hoosiers take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Welcome to our live blog, where you'll get all the news and views from the game live from press row.

Tom Brew

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Welcome home, Hoosiers fans. We're back on press row on Saturday for the start of the Big Ten season, with Indiana taking on Nebraska in the first of 20 conference games.

The Hoosiers are 6-1, suffering their first loss of the season at Syracuse on Tuesday, losing 112-110 in double overtime. Nebraska is 5-3, and lost in four overtimes on Wednesday at N.C. State. So it's going to be interesting to see how refreshed these two teams are.

Welcome to our live blog. If you're not familiar with it, we'll post all the news and views on the game in real time, so you can follow along. The latest items are on the top, so just keep refreshing. 

Let's go!

FINAL: Indiana 68, Nebraska 55

1:40 p.m. — Fans' infatuation with free throws always amazes me. Indiana made their first 11 freebies today, and then when Race Thompson missed one, there was a huge grown from the crowd. I guess only 100 will do.  Xavier Johnson hits two more, so that's 13 of 14 from the line.

1:35 p.m. — Nebraska on a 10-2 run and they've cut the lead to seven at 53-46 with 5:50 to go.

1:25 p.m. — JINX!! Parker Stewart follows up that last post with two straight three-pointers. Indiana leads 51-36.

1:20 p.m. — It's the second media timeout, and Indiana still leads 43-36. Kind of stunning that Indiana is leading considering starters Miller Kopp, Parker Stewart and Xavier Johnson have scored a combined FIVE points.

1:15 p.m. — In the last 17 minutes of game time, Nebraska scored only 16 points. Defense has been good.

1:12 p.m. — Rob Phinisee is having a nice second half for Indiana. He's got five points and is running things well. He came in early when Xavier Johnson picked up his third foul. Indiana leads 43-32 with 13:13 to go. Get to 43 on a thunderous dunk off a missed shot by Race Thompson.

1:06 p.m. — On Tuesday night at Syracuse, Trayce Jackson-Davis (31) and Miller Kopp (28) combined for 59 points. Today, Jackson-Davis has six points and four turnovers, and Kopp has yet to score, but also has four turnovers. Indiana leads 39-30 at the first media timeout of the second half.

1:03 p.m. — Race Thompson with two and a foul, and Indiana has its biggest lead of the game at 34-26.

12:45 p.m. — And that's the half. Indiana leads 26-22. Indiana's defense held Nebraska to just six total points in the final 10:21 of the half. A terrific first half for Tamar Bates. He leads the Hoosiers with 11 points. Indiana with 11 first-half turnovers.

12:40 p.m. — Miller Kopp comes back in for Anthony Leal. That was his best stretch of the season.

12:35 p.m. — Tamar Bates hits a three-pointer and the Hoosiers have their first lead of the day, going ahead 23-20. Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg forced to call a timeout at the 4:10 mark.  Bates hits another three-pointer and the shot clock runs out and Indiana now leads 26-22. 

12:25 — Michael Durr enters the game and the Hoosiers are playing with all bench players. He scores on his first touch in the past, and it's 16-13. Indiana on a 7-0 run.

12:25 p.m. — And then Anthony Leal hits a three and the Assembly Hall crowd erupts. It's 16-11 now, and the Hoosiers are finally playing with some energy. Leal throws another perfect pass on the break, but Bates bobbles it for a turnover.

12:20 p.m — Anthony Leal makes an early appearance for the Hoosiers. He comes in along with freshman. Tamar Bates. The two connect on a breakaway, with a perfect pass from Leal for an easy Bates layup. Nebraska leads 16-8. 

12:15 p.m. — The first substitution of the game for Indiana is point guard Rob Phinisee, who misses his first shot. Nebraska leads 14-4. Indiana 2-for-11 shooting with six turnovers at the 11:26 mark. Mike Woodson calls a timeout. Trayce Jackson-Davis and Miller Kopp each with three turnovers.

12:05 p.m. — Indiana committed 26 turnovers on Tuesday at Syracuse and it's been a point of emphasis all week. But on the first possession, Trayce Jackson-Davis takes an extra step and travels. Miller Kopp does the same thing on the last possession before the first media timeout. Nebraska is out to a 7-2 lead. Through the first four minutes, Indiana is 1-for-6 shooting with three turnovers. 

11:55 a.m. — Same five starters for Indiana for the eighth game in a row. It's Trayce Jackson-Davis, Race Thompson, Miller Kopp, Parker Stewart and Xavier Johnson. 

11:50 a.m. — Nebraska’s Trey McGowens and Indiana’s Xavier Johnson were teammates at Pitt for two seasons (2018-20). Johnson originally signed with Nebraska in 2017, but decommitted from the Cornhuskers in the spring of 2018 and eventually signed with Pitt.

11:45 a.m. — Trayce Jackson Davis had 31 points against Syracuse on Tuesday and now sits an 1,103 career points, good for 45th place all-time. He passed five guys on the list on Tuesday, Rick Calloway (1,073), Daryl Thomas (1,095), Bob Leonard (1,098), Joe Cooke (1,099) and Vernon Payne (1,101). For the complete list of 1,000-point scorers, CLICK HERE

11:40 a.m.  — Indiana assistant coach Kenya Hunter used to coach at Nebraska. He was on Tim Miles' staff and actually recruited Xavier Johnson there. He committed to the Huskers, but later decommitted and went to Pitt. They maintained a good relationship, and Hunter was instrumental in getting Johnson to Bloomington when he entered the transfer portal this summer.

11:35 a.m. — It's important to get off to a good start in the Big Ten for Mike Woodson's Hoosiers. Indiana was just 7-12 in league play a year ago, and in Archie Miller's four years at Indiana, he never once had a winning record in the Big Ten. Indiana hasn't had a winning record in the Big Ten since 2016.

11:30 a.m. — The game is being televised on the Big Ten Network today. Here's our "How to Watch'' story, with all your TV information and more, including starting lineups and stats, bios on the coaches and some great nuggets. CLICK HERE

Published
Tom Brew
TOM BREW

Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist who has worked at some of America's finest newspapers as a reporter and editor, including the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, the Indianapolis Star and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered college sports in the digital platform for the past six years, including the last five years as publisher of HoosiersNow on the FanNation/Sports Illustrated network.

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