CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Alexis Markowski is just a hometown kid getting to live out her dream.
The Lincoln, Nebraska native had 16 points and six rebounds in the sixth-seeded Cornhuskers’ 61-59 victory over No. 11 Texas A&M, which put them into a second-round game Sunday against third-seeded Oregon State (25-7).
The win Friday was the first for Nebraska (23-11) in the NCAA Tournament since 2014.
A 6-foot-3 post player, Markowski was averaging a team-leading 15.9 points and 10.6 rebounds. She has 40 career double-doubles, tying the school record.
“I remember watching the 2013 team in the Sweet 16 and wanting to do that and be a part of this Huskers program,” Markowski said. “And now that I’m doing it, it just doesn’t feel real sometimes. I just love playing for my home state, this program and coach (Amy) Williams, and playing with these amazing teammates I have. It’s a lot of fun.”
That 2013 season was the last time Nebraska advanced out of the second round.
Markowski surged in the Big Ten tournament, averaging 16.5 points and 11 rebounds. She had 23 points and 13 rebounds in the championship game against Iowa.
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But when asked if she’s been gathering momentum at the right time, Markowski deflected the question and turned to her teammates.
“I feel like our team just really is at our peak right now. It’s all coming together. We’re all really trusting each other and relying on each other,” she said. “I feel like my team really trusts me and wants to give me the ball in those big moments.”
She’ll face a challenge on Sunday against Oregon State’s Raegan Beers, who was averaging 17.8 points and 10.4 rebounds.
Beers had 19 points and nine rebounds in the Beavers’ 73-51 victory over No. 14 Eastern Washington on Friday to open the tournament. But there was a scary moment as time expired in the third quarter, when Beers fell to the court clutching her right ankle and crying in pain.
The 6-4 forward was able to stand on her own and limped to the locker room. Beers later returned to the bench but did not play again.
Afterward, the third-team AP All American said she was feeling better and it appeared that she would play on Sunday as the Beavers seek to return to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.
“This is what it’s about, playing one of the best players in the country,” Markowski said.
LESSONS LEARNED
Nebraska’s biggest win this season came on its home court on Feb. 11, when the Huskers knocked off then-No. 2 Iowa. On national television, no less.
While all eyes were on Iowa sensation Caitlin Clark, the Huskers were steadfast.
“When I think back to our win over Iowa at home, we took some punches in that game and were ready to punch right back and made some huge plays down the stretch,” Williams said. “And you know, it taught us a lot about ourselves, about that resiliency.”
But there were also lessons in the losses. Like a 71-70 loss to Rutgers — also on the Huskers’ home court.
“We had plenty of opportunities down the stretch to really get over the hump, or execute, and we couldn’t quite make that game-winning play,” Williams said. “We learned as much from that game as we probably did the Iowa game.”
ALL THAT JAZ
Nebraska guard Jaz Shelley is familiar with Oregon State because she’s played them before — as a Duck.
Shelley, who hails from Australia, played her first two seasons at Oregon. She was a true freshman on the 2019-20 team led by Sabrina Ionescu that was ranked No. 3 and won the Pac-12 Tournament before the season was cancelled by COVID.
She played another season in Eugene before entering the transfer portal and landing with the Huskers. Now a fifth-year senior, she’s key to Nebraska’s success with averages of 13.5 points and 5.6 assists.
“It’s a little bit of a full circle moment for me, when the itinerary came out to say we’re going to fly from Lincoln to Eugene. I was like, that sounds a little familiar,” Shelley said.
Oregon State coach Scott Rueck was among the coaches who recruited Shelley those years ago.
“I did a home visit with her at her house and got to know the family really well. And then, as an opponent at Oregon and now here we are, all these years later,” Rueck said. “I’ve just always been impressed with her as a competitor. I like her, she’s a cool person. I love her savviness.”
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
