The game script in Northwestern's double-digit loss at Nebraska today was one Wildcat fans are becoming all-too familiar with.

Early in the game, the 'Cats were in it. The 'Huskers struggled offensively -- they were turning the ball over at an alarming rate -- and Northwestern did just enough to enter halftime trailing by just one point.

Then, in the middle of the second half, Nebraska started scoring and the game got out of hand in a hurry. Once that happens, Northwestern typically doesn't have the juice offensively to make a comeback, and that was the case once again.

Here are three takeaways from the loss:

The 'Cats shot 40% from the field but just 20% from long distance, a trend that's become increasingly evident as Big Ten play has gone on. Northwestern just doesn't have any legitimate threats from out there except for Nick Martinelli, who isn't patrolling the perimeter that often.

Northwestern's captain has also been far less efficient in recent weeks, and it's clear that his production was helping to mask a larger issue. When he's not on, the 'Cats' offense is really struggling because there just isn't anyone else who's a consistent factor shooting the basketball.

It's also adversely impacting Martinelli in the post, as opposing defenses are able to collapse down on him whenever he gets the ball. They're not afraid of him making them pay with the pass, so he's finding himself in double and triple teams far too often.

In the portal this offseason, Chris Collins needs to go get a shooter. It couldn't be more obvious.

When Ciaravino is on the floor, he makes an impact that nobody else can on Northwestern's roster. He's got a Barnhizer-esq ability to haul in rebounds from the guard position. He can jump out of the gym. He can defend pretty well.

The issue is that he hasn't been able to carve out a consistent role because his offensive game is lagging behind. Some nights, he looks like the kind of player that should be starting every game. Against the 'Huskers, he chipped in for nine points, and if he can just do that consistently it completely alters his profile.

Nobody is asking Ciaravino to lead this team on the offensive end. But if he can continue to develop his jumper and his long range shooting, it would allow Collins to give him more run. 

It's hard to pin these shooting struggles on Collins. He was likely banking on much better seasons from Max Green and certainly from K.J. Windham. But still, none of these players can shoot, and that's a problem. We'll see how Northwestern's leader chooses to address it in the offseason.

However, I think it's completely fair to wonder what the plan was in the post. Arrinten Page has been up-and-down all season, but the 'Cats were always going to need a second big in the lineup.

That roll has fallen on Tyler Kropp, a freshman who should really be playing power forward. Because Page has been inconsistent, Kropp has also been thrust into a starting role out of position that is simultaneously his first cup of coffee in Big Ten play.

It's not fair, and it's killing the Wildcats on the boards. Since they lack size, they come out on the wrong end of the rebounding battle almost every game. Today, Nebraska led in that category 40-24.

It's fair to question what the plan was here. Were they hoping Cade Bennerman would be ready to play right away? Was there something in the portal that fell through? Having Page as your only true center was a bad plan, and it's yielded bad results.