pags 10
daily nebraskan
Wednesday, february 6, 1980
Downing shots
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Photo by Tom Getsner
looc ou behind!
Husker junior Carol Garey, from
Sacramento, Calif., dribbles through.the
mob during Nebraska's 74-70 win over
Oklahoma State at the Bob Devaney
Sports " Center Saturday night, The
Huskers; now 17-12, travel to Columbia,
Mo. Wednesday , night to face the
Missouri Tigers. , .
clinch 61-56 win
By Roil Powell
LAWRENCE, Kan.-UNL freshman
Greg Downing admitted he felt pressure
when he made his first start as a Husker
Tuesday night in the Husker's 61-56 win
over the Kansas Jayhawks.
But the real pressure didn't come until
the last minute of the game.
With the Huskers ahead 57-56 with 44
seconds left, Downing sank two clutch free
throws to give , the Huskers a three-point
lead. Then, on the other end of the court,
Downing came up with the rebound of tha
game with 24 seconds left when KU's
Johnny Crawford missed a 15-foot jump
shot.
The Huskers' Jack Moore then added
two more free throws with four seconds
left to ice the Huskers' sixth conference
win in nine starts.
Downing had to battle the crowd on his
free throws, but he said the crowd didn't
bother him.
"I just tried to block the people out,"
Downing said. "I just concentrated, set the
ball right and followed through the best
could,"
Heart stopper
Downing said his heart stopped a little
bit when the first free throw rolled on the
rim before going in.
"But I think everyone's (heart) did," he
said.
Downing said he worked hard to get,
good position on the rebound.
"I was surprised to get the rebound that
clean," he said. "I thought they'd be all
over me, but I was all by myself." ,
Downing played only five minutes in.
the first half, but he said he wasn't dis
couraged about it.
"Jerry (Shoecraft) did a good job," he
said. Shoecraft came off the bench to score
eight points in the first half, including a
pair of three-point plays in a , span of a
minute. ,
"When I came in, I' was set on going to
the basket," Shoecraft said. "Both times I
saw a hole in the defense and I just drove
to the basket. I wanted to draw the foul, so
things worked out perfect."
Three-point plays seemed to be the dif
ference in the game. The Huskers had three
of them in the first half as well as a four
point play with 3:28 left in .the first half
on a Ray Collins basket and a pair of free
throws by Andre Smith.
The Huskers came up with two more
three-point plays in the second half. The
first, by Moore, tied the game at 4040
with 13 minutes remaining. The second
came via Andre Smith, who pulled the
Huskers within one with 5:37 left.
The Huskers took the lead for jood at
55-54, but KU's Crawford cut it to one at
57-56 with 46 seconds left with his 20
footer. ,
Downing heroics .
That's when Downing provided the
heroics to finally put it away. Acting
Husker Head Coach Moe Iba said he was
pleased with the Huskers' field goal percen
tage (68) but was not as pleased with the
Huskers' 19 turnovers.
"We had 12 the first half and that gave
us something to talk about at halftime,"
Iba said. "We handled the ball better in the
second half, though, and that's what
counts."
Iba said the Huskers were impatient
with the Jayhawk's man-to-man defense,
but added that they settled down when KU
switched to a zone.
"Our team played the way I wanted
them to in the second half," Iba said.
"That's the way we have to play to win on
the road." ,
No one on the Husker team discounted
the importance of the win that put the
Huskers at 15-8 overall and 6-3 in the con
ference. ,
"It might have been the biggest game to
date," Smith said, "We're keeping the heat
on the first-place team and staying in con
tention for the crown."
TT l j n
xiusKers to race
Colorado, SDSU
The UNL wrestling team heads into this weekend's
matches looking to prove its season-long improvement,
according to Coach Bob Fehrs.
Colorado University comes to the Bob Devaney Sports
Center Friday night, and on Saturday the Huskers travel
to Brookings, S.D. to wrestle the South Dakota State
Jackrabbits.
"We'd like to think we've been improving all year
long. Maybe it hasn't been apparent until lately," said
Fehrs, whose team got off to a good start before a brief
slump it apparently snapped out of last week.
The key to the Colorado meet, Fehrs said, is in the
lower five weight classes, where the Buffs are the strong
est. "Well have to beat somebody in the first five
matches," he said, "or at least hold them down a little.
Then well try to take them in the next five."
South Dakota State does not present the threat Color
ado does, but they do have some fine individuals, Fehrs
said.
Kirt Simet, a 158-pounder, was the Division II national
champion last year, and 177-pound Jeff Horetz claimed
second plsce in the nationals, according to Fehrs.
Their strength is in the middle weights, but we think
our middle is fairly tough, too," said Fehrs. "I think well
win, but it could be tough."
The middle weights have been the Huskers strength so
far, but Fehrs sees a more balanced squad in the near
future. He pointed out that John Shearer and Brad Smith,
ths Ih;m llB-rad 126-pounders, wrestled well against
Okf-hcnia, tzi lVcIJ ccn&rae to improve.
TTie year's mcrt improved wrestler, though, aid Fehrs,
is hisvywefht Dyl Meyer. Meyer, a sophomore, has an
1 1-5-1 dusl record, as compared to his 4-9 mark last year.
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Photo by Mark Ci'in-Jty
NCAA qualifier
Husker Everton DaCosta, a junior from Manches
ter, Jamaica, took third place Saturday in the 600
meter dash behind Lester Mickens and Mike Ricks'
of Kansas at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. How-
1.10.36 time qualified him for the NCAA meet in
mat event.