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Wednesday, December 12, 1C34
Daily Ncbraskan
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By Jeff Korbellk
Dally Nibrtstxa EtxITEt porter
Nebraska's basketball team is off to
their best start In seven seasons (5-0),
and UNL's sports Information office said
during Tuesday's weekly press luncheon
that more people are attending the Husker
games.
Tonight, the Huskers will host unde
feated Wisconsin (5-0) at 7:35 p.m. at the
Bob Devaney Sports Center and it would
be safe to assume that more than 10,000
people will watch the Huskers play. In the
Husker's four previous home games, the
average attendance has been 9,969. The
sports information office reports that
attendance is up 4,000 from last year at
this time.
Tom Simons, assistant sports informa
tion director, said the increase in attend
ance can be attributed to the team's per
formance and the weather. He also said
the change in the student's ticket policy
may have had something to do with the
increase.
The increase in attendance is good
news, but Nebraska coach Moe Iba has
centered his attention on the Wisconsin
basketball team. His team again has only
one day to prepare for tonight's contest.
"Wisconsin has a team a little bit like
ours," Iba said. "They have an excellent
shooting basketball team and I think he
(Wisconsin coach Steve Yoder) likes this
type of team. A year ago when we played
them up there, they had a couple of excel
lent athletes, but I didnt think they
played together as well as they do this
year."
South Dakota coach Doug Martin agrees
With Iba on Wisconsin's progress. -
"I don't think they have made as good,
of program as Nebraska has," Martin said.
South Dakota has lost to both Nebraska
(101-69) and" Wisconsin (95-56) this
season.
Muscle
st
By Hike Beillcy
Nebraska freshman basketball player Maurtice Ivy
admits the good things in life don't come easily.
Ivy, a 5-9 forward who occasionally swings to guard,
was one of the most sought-after high school players in
the country last year. In April, Nebraska Coach Kelly Hill
won a close recruiting race with San Diego State's Ernest
Riggins and signed Ivy to a letter of intent. At that point,
Ivy began to feel the pressure of a major college player.
Hill said the bulk of the pressure does not come from
the fans or the press, but from Ivy herself
"Maurtice has a lot of pressure on her, mostly self
oriented, to have a successful freshman season and turn
our program around," Hill said.
But Ivy's attempt to make Nebraska a women's
basketball power has been slowed by a muscle strain she
suffered in her left thigh during pre-season condition
mg. She missed one game and may miss tonight's game
against South Dakota.
"My leg has taken everything out of me," Ivy said. "I
cant play the way I want to play."
The injury, Ivy said, has drained her most valuable
weapon speed.
"It (the injury) affects the way I run more than the
way I shoot," Ivy said. "But I cant play if I cant run."
Although the injury bothered her, Ivy had a successful
Nebraska debut, scoring 17 points in a 103-63 victory
against Arizona in the first round of the Husker Invita
tional. "It wasn't bothering me too much in the first half of
the Arizona game," Ivy said. "But in the second half; it
started hurting."
Ivy said the pain increased in a loss to Clemson in the
championship game,
"By the Cbxnson gams, it was bothering me even
more," Ivy said. "I could see myself slacking up to take
le pressure off it."
The Husker Invitational was a learning experience for
vy. She not only manasd to cope with the injury and
"Nebraska knocked us down and Wis
consin knocked us down and stepped on
us," Martin said.
"It should be an interesting game," Mar
tin said. Their goal defensively is the
same and their defensive philosophy is
the same. Nebraska is much quicker, and
they have the bigger center."
Wisconsin is led by junior guard Rick
Olson and senior forward Scott Roth.
Olson leads the team in scoring with 18.4
points a game. Roth is second in scoring
with 14.2 points a game. Iba said sopho
more guard Brian Carr probably will
draw the assignment of guarding Olson.
In Nebraska's last two victories over
Creighton last Saturday and Wyoming
Monday night, Iba said the Huskers took
some questionable shots after getting a
lead.
"When we get a lead in a ball game, we
got to make sure we let David (Hoppen)
handle it before we shoot outside," Iba
said.
Iba said the shots being taken are good
shots. He said Nebraska will get a 1 2 or 1 4
point lead, take a couple of quick shots
and allow the other team to get back in
the ball game. He said if the Huskers
shoot the ball quick, they will never get a
chance to get into the one and one.
The women's basketball team will open
play for the men at 5:15 p.m. against
South Dakota. Nebraska enters the game
with a 1-4 record, dropping their last
three games on the road. South Dakota is
sporting a perfect 8-0 record.
"WeVe been having good efforts in the
three or four losses we have suffered so
far, and I guess from a coaches stand
point, we have to keep emphasizing that,"
jboach Kelly Hill said. r
The women's team has been plagued
by an injury to freshman Maurtice Ivy,
who will again miss action this week
because of a muscle pull in her leg.
"What can I say? We need a win," Hill
said.
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At left, Harvey Marshall knocks a
ball away from a Wyoming guard in
Monday's 79-65 Husker win against
the Cowboys. On offense, above,
Curtis Moore tries to pull in a pass
for a dunk shot.
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progress
lasiwce Ivy
play with pain; she was named to the all-tournament
team with teammate Deb PowelL
In the Dial Classic, Nebraska lost to host team Minne
sota 00-79 and to 14th-ranked Tennessee, 77-58. Ivy
played sparingly in both games.
"She has yet to be 100-percent," Hill said.
"We want to make sure she's ready to go when the
conference season starts," Hill said. "It really doesnt
matter what our pre-season conference record is; the
Big Eight season is when we play for all the marbles."
Ivy has been riding a stationary bike and undergoing
ultra-sound and whirlpool treatments to strengthen the
leg.
Omaha Central won 50 consecutive games with Ivy in
the lineup over the last two years, and Hill said she must
adjust to playing for a team which sometimes loses two
or three games a week.
"My biggest adjustment to the college game is that it's
more physical," Ivy said. "I feel IVe adjusted to it pretty
well, though."
Jessica Haynes, Ivy's cousin and a senior at Central,
was a member of the Eagles' two state championship
teams. Like Ivy, she is one of the hottest recruits in the
nation.
In the Class A state finals last year, Haynes, a 5-11
forward, hit a layup in the final seconds to give Central
a 58-57 come-from-behind victory over Omaha Marian.
Hill hopes to reunite the cousins in Lincoln next year.
"She's the number one forward on our list right now,"
Hill said.
Ivy said she and Haynes "have talked about coming to
Nebraska" but added that "I cant make the decision for
her."
Haynes also is being recruited by San Diego State. Ivy
said she had read stories about coaches sleeping on the
front porches of blue-chip prospects, but didnt believe it
until she met Biggins.
"I was bothered by a few coaches," Ivy said. "But I
think San Diego State's coach ws3 the most bothersome."
