clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Thanksgiving Big Ten Recap: Nebraska and Purdue Fall

Recap all the Big Ten action from Thanksgiving night.

NCAA Basketball: Golden Window Classic-McNeese State at Nebraska Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

Day two of the college basketball season took place on Thursday and the Big Ten had three teams in action on Turkey Day, including marquee matchups for Nebraska and Purdue. Unfortunately, both would fall short.

Let’s take a look at what happened.

Game of the Night:

-Nevada Wolfpack 69, Nebraska Cornhuskers 66

This one didn’t end well for Nebraska, but the game itself was fantastic. The score swung back and forth throughout, including multiple swings in the last few minutes. Teddy Allen led the way for the Huskers, scoring 17 points, grabbing six rebounds, and handing out an assist. Dalano Banton also had 18 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Unfortunately, Nebraska’s offense couldn’t do enough and the team fell 69-66 to a solid Nevada squad.

And while the loss is a disappointing one, this is an encouraging sign for Nebraska moving forward. The Huskers were largely uncompetitive in games like this last season and have looked functional through two games so far. Nebraska will hope to bounce back on Saturday at home against North Dakota State.

The Rest:

-No. 8 Illinois Fighting Illini 97, Chicago State Cougars 38

Well, this one went well. Illinois went on a 16-2 run in the first five minutes of the game and never looked back from there. Illinois ended up finishing with a 97-38 win in the team’s second dominant victory in as many days. Ayo Dosunmu led the way with 22 points, seven assists, and six rebounds. Adam Miller also did damage, finishing with 15 points. The Illini will hope to keep things rolling on Friday at home against a feisty Ohio Squad. A win there would give the team its best start since the 2017-’18 season.

-Clemson Tigers 81, Purdue Boilermakers 70

This was certainly the most disappointing result of the day for the Big Ten. This looked like a pretty even game on paper, but quickly got out of hand in the second half. Ultimately, Purdue went down 81-70 in a game that felt over far earlier. There’s no debating the injuries to Eric Hunter and Jaden Ivey hurt Purdue’s chances in this one.

The biggest issues for Purdue on Thursday came on the offensive end, where the Boilermakers finished with an underwhelming 0.95 points per possession. Zach Edey was the only player to put forward an efficient performance and Trevion Williams struggled. Purdue will hope to bounce back next Tuesday at home against Oakland.