doily
Loss shatters cagers' hopes
by Gary Sea crest
Not many people had high hopes for the
Nebraska basketball team before the season
started. The Huskers were picked to finish
fourth or fifth in the Big Eight race before the
conference season opened.
Despite the polls, Nebraska held the
conference lead or remained in contention for
most of the season. The surprising Huskers were
staying in the Big Eight race, according to
Coach Joe Cipriano, because they were playing
"over their heads" in many games.
However, it's hard for a team to constantly
play beyond its abilities, and 19th ranked
Missouri finally burst Nebraska's dream of a
great season with a 61-54 victory over the
Huskers Saturday night at the Coliseum.
The loss, the Huskers' only conference loss
at home this season, eliminated the Huskers
from the Big Eight title race and probably
ruined hopes of even a second place finish and a '
possible bid to play in the National Invitational
Tournament in New York City.
Saturday's loss dropped the Huskers into
fourth place where they were predicted to
finish, with a 7-5 conference record. Missouri
(9-3) will have an opportunity to tie Kansas
State, a 73-55 winner over Colorado Saturday,
for the Big Eight lead in a Tuesday night game
at Columbia,
Losing to Missouri was especially
disappointing to the four seniors who were
playing their final home game as Cornhuskers.
For example, guard Al Nissen said, "Losing like
that when you're playing at home and in
contention, is ridiculous." Forward Mike
Peterson added, "We were 'homered' on our
own home court."
"We didn't shoot well for us," Cipriano said
of the Huskers' third loss to the Tigers this
season. "But you've got to give Missouri credit
for defensing us well inside." Missouri outshot
Nebraska 50-46 per cent from, the field and
held Husker center Chuck Jura to 16 points.
It appeared for a moment that the Huskers
would recover from a 28-20 half-time deficit
when they pulled within one, 39-38, on a
basket by senior Tom Bryan with 8:31
remaining.
But that was as close as the Huskers could
get, as the Tigers used an effective ball-control
offense to score easy lay-ups or draw fouls in
the one-on-one situation against the gambling
Nebraska defense. The Tigers made 10 of 12
free throw attempts in the final minutes and
their last six field goals were lay-ups against the
pressure defense applied by Nebraska.
Eliminated from the conference race by two
straight losses, the Huskers now have only pride
to play for in their last two games at Iowa State
Monday night at 7:35 p.m. and at Kansas State
Saturday night.
'This is going to make it tough," Cipriano
said. "They (the Huskers) are going to have to
come back. Iowa State will be tough at home."
The Cyclones are in sixth place in the
conference with a 4-9 record.
'These last games mean a lot to me because
they're the last two games of my Nebraska
career," sen said. "I would hate to go out
with four straight losses."
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TAIi: TO TIE OFFICER IiJFGKMi-.TICK TEAM ON CAMPUS
MARCH 6-7 PLACEMENT OFFICE
i
I f would like information on Navy Aviation: !
i i
J Uaine
i Address
J City & State
i Send to:
j Officer Programs Officer
U. S. Navy Recruiting Station
! 30th & Fort
J Omaha, Nebraska 68111
Zip
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Ptwtby Gil Fotda
Pressure defense. . . Missouri's Al Eberhard (left) held
center Chuck Jura (right) to 16 points as the Tigers
knocked the Huskers out of the Big Eight race.
The Nebraska freshman
basketball team led by Kent
Recewey's 24 points, recorded
its best season in four years by
defeating the Missouri
freshmen 74-57x at the
Coliseum Saturday night.
The Husker freshmen
1-11x14 Color
Bridal Portrait
with 16 Color Candids
in Album
2 Parents' Albums
12 Each
Call Us For
Spring Formal
Photography
DON MANKE
PHOTOGRAPHY
70th & Vine 434-4050
finished their season with a
10-2 record.
'
Midland upset top-seeded
Wayne State 46-38 to win the
third annual Nebraska
Women's Intercollegiate
Basketball Tournament at the
UNL Women's P.E. Building
Saturday.
UNL defeated Kearney
45-31 to capture third place in
the two-day tournament.
Kansas won its fifth straight
Big Eight Conference
swimming championship
Saturday night at Missouri by
amassing 501 points compared
to runner-up Oklahoma's 317
points.
Nebraska's swimming team
finished last in the meet with
89 points.
A glass blowing course for
students will begin March 7
and will meet every Tuesday
6-9 p.m. for ten weeks.
The cost per student is
$10.50. Interested students
may contact the Recreation
and Intramural Department
(R & I) for further
information.
Corn Cob Election
5:00 p. m.
Tuesday, March 7
Union Small Auditorium
v
E
PAGE 8
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 1972