Shavon Shields leads Nebraska over No. 11 Michigan State

Shavon Shields scored 28 points and Denzel Valentine missed a shot just before the buzzer to allow Nebraska to hold on for a 72-71 victory over No. 11 Michigan State on Wednesday night.

Miles said he didn’t pressure his three-year captain, who was averaging 15.4 points per game prior to Wednesday’s win, to get back on the floor.

Shields left the game with a hip injury in the first half but came back to play after halftime. That’s three straight losses for the Spartans, including two at home and another to an underachieving Wisconsin squad over the weekend.

But Valentine hit a improbable 3-pointer and Webster missed the front end of a one-and-one. Deyonta Davis had 13 points and seven points for the Spartans, who made just 42 percent of their shots and let Nebraska make half of it attempts. Trailing 14-8, Shields and White combined for 10 points in a 13-0 Husker run, before 3-pointer by Glynn Watson Jr. and a Shields free throw gave the Huskers a 21-14 advantage with 11:54 left in the half.

Michigan State went the final four minutes of the first quarter without a field goal and Morgan Green’s jumper was the Spartans’ first basket of the second at the 7:35 mark.

Powers’ steal and fast-break layup extended Michigan State’s lead to 47-44 with 4:49 left and her nifty reverse layup made it 56-47 at the 44-second mark. Both moves seemed to pay off for the Spartans (16-4, 3-4 Big Ten) as Valentine had a team-high 24 points. Midway through the second half, he had his right hip stretched on the sideline before going back in the game slightly hobbled. With 12 minutes left in the game, the Spartans led 56-51 when the offense once again went colder than the East Lansing air. “But boy, did he go”.

“We just can’t guard the things we need to guard”, Izzo said, reiterating a point he has been making for some time now.

Shields was spectacular, hitting 12-of-20 shots from the field to lead three Huskers in double figures.

Forbes had a chance to pull Michigan State within a point, but missed an open three-pointer with just less than three minutes left.

Michigan State’s issues on Wednesday night had nothing to do with Valentine not looking like himself. Tom Izzo’s team is looking for answers and the absence of Lourawls Nairn for another game could loom large as it means freshman guard Matt McQuaid will be forced to start at the point.

STREAKS: The Cornhuskers have won three straight conference games on the road for the first time since 1998 when they were in the Big 12.

Miles’ group tied it up, 33-33, with 1:27 left in the first half, where the score would remain at halftime.