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daily nebrasken
Wednesday, february 28, 1079
Lady Huskers seek win
to set re
c6rch
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II
ByRickHuls
Sports Editor
The Nebraska women's basketball team
has two reasons for wanting a victory to
night against interstate rival UNO at the
Bob Devaney Sports Center.
A UNL victory over the Lady Maver
icks would assure a berth in the AIAW
Region VI playoffs. The two split again
this year, forcing a third game to decide
the state's representative. The Lady
Huskers won 5949 in Omaha and UNO
grabbed a 5048 decision last Saturday in
Lincoln.
A win would also give UNL 23 wins for
the year, breaking the all-time record for
any Nebraska basketball team. The Lady
Huskers broke the women's record Mon
day night with a 78-56 win over South
Dakota, upping this season's mark to
22-12. The previous best was a 21-16
record in 1975-76 under George
Nicodemus. The 22 Wins ties the school
record which was set last year by the NU
men's basketball squad.
But, first in Gallagher's mind is a win
over UNO.
"It's a do or die situation," Gallagher
said. "Both teams will have intensity this
time."
Scrappy style
Gallagher was referring to the scrappy,
aggressive style of ball UNO played against
the Lady Huskers Saturday.
"UNO was really ready to play. You
could see it in the first couple of minutes
when they went ahead 6-0," Gallagher
added. "But I do think we'll be mentally
ready to play this time."
Gallagher said she has made adjustments
for UNO's bothersome zone defense.
B
earn piayo:
Gallagher was quick to point out that
her team took 25 more shots but hit only
.27 percent from the field.
"We really had problems with their zone
last time. And we weren't taking bad shots
either. They just weren't falling for us "
she explained.
However, Gallagher said she was pleased
with every other aspect of the game. UNL
out-rebounded the Lady Mavs by two, had
one more assist and committed four less
turnovers.
Gallagher said her team must do some
thing to stop UNO center Barb Hart.
Bench developing
"Hart really hurt us after we had con
tained her in the first. game" Gallagher
said. "Janet (Smith) had a little trouble
with her so we might change things around
a bit."
The UNL coach said she remains pleased
with the play of her freshmen, Ami Bei
riger and Janet Smith.
"They've been a tremendous help
lately. Both still make mistakes because
they're freshmen but either one can
start for us," Gallagher added.
''Slowly but surely our bench is start
ing to develop," Gallagher said. "And it
was good to see everybody get a chance
to play last night (Monday)."
Diane DelVigna led UNL with 24
points, while Carol Garey and Laura Tiet
jen hit for 12 and 10 points, respectively.
"I think the girls were angry about the
UNO game and took it out on poor old
South Dakota."
UNO, who has represented the state the
past two years in the regionals, comes into
Wednesday night's game with an 18-12
record. Tipoff is set for 7:30.
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Ami Beiriger blocks a Kansas State play. , c
Huskers swimmers
ready for weekend
By Sara Martens
A year's worth of work will be summed up in one meet
when the UNL swimming and diving team enters the Big
Eight Championships this weekend.
"The whole year comes down to one meet. You're
up for it without even trying, Nebraska swimmer Jerry
Olszewski said.
Olsezewski, a junior college transfer from Fullerton,
Cal., said the Huskers will be physically and mentally
ready when the meet begins at noon Thursday in the Bob
Devaney Sports Center.
, NU Coach Cal Bentz said the Nebraska pool is an ad
vantage to the Huskers and to everyone else who benefits
frpm swimming in a fast pool.
"Other conference facilities are not comparable to
ours. Lincoln does a good job hosting the meet and our
work force of officials is as good as any in the country,"
Bentzsaid.
The Huskers will be out to improve their team score
and conference placing, Bentz said. For the past seven
years the Huskers have finished last among the seven Big
fcyit swim teams. The 1978 team scores 72 points, while
Colorado was sixth with 201.
Last year's champion, Kansas, is the favorite for the
meet, Olszewski said.
I Kansas Coach Bill Spshn said, "We're going up hoping
we will win, but we're not overconfident."
Steve Graves, t three event champion last year, returns
for the Jayhawks along with one-meter diving champion
Kurt Anseimi and three-meter champion Mark HUl, Spahn
said.
Husker diver Steve Elliott did not compete in the Ne
braska Kansas dual, but Spahn said Elliott wO provide ex
cellent competition for both divers.
: The meet will be closer than last year's, Spahn said,
lis expects a vast improvement in the Husker total.
-Nebraska potentially has a lot of good swimsners and
I know Cal (Bentz) w2 have them ready," he said.
. Bentz would not predict how his team wO finish, but
Olszewski said the Huskers have fourth place wrapped up,
Bentz, in his first year at UNL, said the team is healthy
and Is flnhhing the tapering and resting phase of training.
Eeatt is said he Is hoping for t large crowd at the three-;
diytseet. ,
Preliminary events be!a at noca each day, with finals
Uziz st 7:23 Thursday, Friday tsd Saurday evening.
Blackman snuffs outftfUwason
Manhattan, Ks .-Nebraska's hopes for advancement
in the Big Eight post-season tournament evaporated
Friday night as the Huskers suffered a gut-wrenching
61-60 double-overtime loss to Kansas State before
8,450 screaming fans in Ahearn Fieldhouse.
Kansas State's Rolando Blackman sank a pair of free
throws with five' seconds left to finish the Huskers and
send, the Wildcats to the quarterfinals against
Oklahoma in Kansas City's Kemper Arena.
The Huskers came within a hairbreadth of winning
several times, but Kansas State, powered by Black
man's clutch shooting, always fought its way back.
"I thought we played as hard as we could ever play,
but we just couldn't get a break, said Nebraska Coach
Joe Cipriano. s v
The season-ending defeat gave NU a 14-13 final
record.
Nebraska, which had played two previous overtime
games this season and had won both, could not turn
the trick a third time.
Comeback
The score was tied, 53-53, at the end of regulation
play as the Huskers clawed their way back from a 4
point deficit late in the second period on baskets by
Curt Hedberg and Mike Naderer.
Each team scored four points in the. first extra
period to set the stage for the dramatic second
overtime.
KSU led, 59-58, with 1:24 left in double overtime
when Brian Banks lofted a jump shot from the top of
the key that missed.
The Wildcats came down with a rebound, but
Naderer intercepted an outlet pass to prevent a Kansas
State stall. Naderer then drilled a jump shot with 13
seconds remaining, giving the Huskers 60-59 lead.
K-State called timeout, and as play resumed Black
man took a pass, drove to the basket and was fouled
by Banks, with five seconds left. ;; . , ' ;
Cool shot : . .
Blackman coolly flipped both freethrows through
the net, and Bob Moore's desperation 'shot missed, at
theJbuzzer: ' -;.
Ironically Jit was Moore's tost-secondott
.lifted the Huskers to an overtime win against Kansas'
earlier this season. " .
"I was" really Proud of our boys, Cipriano said.'
"Even though the law of averages was against us, I
thought we could win it here tonight. I thought we had
the better team .
could have gone either way,, said KSU Coach
Jack Hartman. "Both teams played extremely hard
and extremely well., We were fortunate. ? s
Blackman, Nebraska's nemesis in two earlier games
this season, scored 16 points, as did backcourt mate
Tyrone Adams.
Andre Smith, whose Liside play aird freethrow
shooting buoyed Nebraska' - wis the Huskers leading
scorer with 18 points. - . .
Naderer, whose outside shooting almost won the
game twice, added 12. Carl McPIpe, playing his last
game as a Husker also hit double .figures, finishing
mr . - ..--(-
wiia iu poina.
NROTC basketballtsquad takes first
The Nebraska Navy ROTC basketball team took first
place in the 25th Annual NROTC Midwest Tournament
held Feb. 24 and 25 in Great Lakes, m.
' The Nebraska team won the two-day, 16-team tour
csmest by defeating Vandrrbilt University 50-39 in the
championship game Sunday.
The tourney featured several major schools including
Notre Dame, llichigaa, Marquette, Louisville, Ohio
State aid Purdue. ' ::- "r-;-;:--V.
' . Nebraska, who went undefeated throui four irne$,
drpendid on a well-balanced attack throughout the
tournaxnent and averaged 57 points per game compared
to their crpeseats 45.7 points per game, - -
The Huskers, coached by Lt. J.G. Carl Gruenler and
Senior Chief Petty Officer Howard StiSinger, defeated!
Notre Dame (66-53), Louisville (6648) and Illinois I
(4643) before advancing to the finals. .
The first place .finish was the Husker's first champion-'
ship M the hMory of the tournament
likhan, who has dominated the tournament in the
past few years and won titles In 1977 and 78, finished
in fifth place. ;
Other teams partidpaling in the tournament included:
Miami, of Ohio, Vilsconsin, M&ouri, Minnesota, Iowa
- State, Pfonit Institute of Technology and NorthTCittrn.