LINCOLN, Neb. – With every game against a Power Five opponent, Tarleton inches ever closer to defeating one of the elite among the NCAA Division I ranks. On Tuesday, the Texans gave Nebraska a scare in Lincoln, trailing by just five with seven minutes left before losing 71-53.
 
The Texans (3-2, 0-0 WAC) and Cornhuskers (3-2, 0-0 Big Ten) played a close competitive contest for nearly all 40 minutes at the Pinnacle Bank Arena Tuesday night, with the first three quarters separated by no more than four points each. On the heels of Teresa Da Silva's career-high of 24 points, Tarleton played its best game against a Power Five program, its fourth try over the last three seasons.
 
Nebraska had the quick start, going up 6-0 right away, an early signal that it could be a long night for Tarleton. But the Texans responded, with Viktoria Ivanova burying two triples to tie it 6-6 three minutes in. Then both defenses smothered the offenses, with a combined eight points being scored over the last seven minutes of the first quarter. Tarleton didn't allow a point over the last four minutes and trailed 12-8 entering the second, forcing Nebraska to shoot 3-of-14 (.214) in the opening frame while going 5-of-19 (.263) themselves.
 
The offenses picked up in the second frame almost immediately, with Da Silva and Starr Omozee providing back-to-back buckets on the first two possessions to tie the game at 12-12. Nebraska then went on a 9-0 run in just two minutes of action to go up 21-12, and built their lead to 11 (26-15) midway through the quarter. Da Silva made a jumper from there, followed by a Jenna Dick three, and Tarleton refused to go away, down 31-24 at halftime.
 
To start the third, the Cornhuskers opened with a 9-0 run to lead by 16, and led by as many as 18 in the quarter. Tarleton could have said "good effort" from there and packed it in, but alas, the Texans went on a 10-0 run to get back down by eight, with Mayra Caicedo, Tyler Jackson and Elise Turrubiates jumping in on the scoring attack. Da Silva got hot late in the quarter, making her last four shots to get Tarleton within five entering the fourth, 48-43.
 
Both teams traded buckets to start the frame, and the score sat at 50-45 with less than seven minutes remaining. From there, Nebraska went on an 8-0 run,  that built into 16-4, winning the final frame 23-10.
 
Da Silva scored her career-high 24 points on 11-of-25 shooting, adding team-highs in assists (five) and steals (two), playing all 40 minutes. It marked Da Silva's second career 20+ point game, as she leads the team in scoring with 15.4 points per contest on 49.2 percent shooting.
 
Jackson barely missed on starting her year with five consecutive double-digit scoring games, pouring in nine points (2-5 3PT). Turrubiates had six points and four rebounds, and Ivanova finished with six points.
 
Nebraska's Alexis Markowski had the biggest night on the floor with 24 points on 11-of-15 shooting (1-1 3PT, 1-1 FT), 18 rebounds, two assists, three steals and three blocks. Isabelle Bourne also recorded a double-double with 14 points on 7-of-13 shooting, 10 rebounds and two assists. Jaz Shelley dished out 12 dimes to go with eight points and six rebounds.
 
Tarleton forced 21 Nebraska turnovers, but they were outscored in the paint 50-14. The Huskers also outshot them 30-of-66 (.455) to 21-of-61 (.344).
 
The Texans get a well-deserved rest to celebrate Thanksgiving with their loved ones. They'll have eight days in-between games, next playing on Wednesday, Nov. 30, at Western Illinois in Macomb. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT.