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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 1988)
Sports OSU frosh Dumas pours in 27 as Cowboys shoot down Nebraska By Chuck (Hreen Senior Reporter As of Thursday afternoon, the Oklahoma States men's basketball team had never beaten Nebraska at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. But on Thursday night, Cowboy freshman forward Richard Dumas decided to change all that. The Cowboys, led by Dumas’ 27 points, routed Nebraska 72-56— the first win for Oklahoma State in 14 tries at die sports center. “I thought Nebraska just got out played in every aspect of the game,” Cornhuskcr coach Danny Nee said. “We had our chances in the first half, but Oklahoma State came in ready to play and they did everything they had to do to win the ballgamc. “They just kept closing the door every time v yd get something started.” Oklahoma State’s win ended a Nebraska five-game home winning streak against Big Eight opponents, which dated back to last February. The game also ended a Nebraska six game w in streak against the Cow boys. Nebraska had won every game w ith Oklahoma State since February 1985, when it dropped a 68-66 deci sion to the Cow boys. Oklahoma State, now 2-3 in the conference and 11-8 overall, jumped out to a 6-0 lead and never trailed in the game. John Starks chipped in 10 points to complement Dumas. Dumas connected on 9 of 14 shots from the field and hit 9 of 10 free throws. “He was, without a doubt, the difference in the game,” Nee said. “He did everything he had to do to win.” Nebraska’s only double-figure scorer was Henry T. Buchanan, w ho had 11 points for the Huskers. During the first half, the biggest ovation from the 10,109 fans who attended the ESPN-televised game came al ter a performance by the Bud Light Daredevils — an acrobatics team that dunks basketballs after somersaults off of a trampoline — during a time out. Oklahoma State led 30-22 at halftime. The second half was a different story, as the crowd was treated to a closer contest — at least for a few minutes. Nebraska cut the Cowboys’ lead to five, 32-27, with 17:05 left in the game, but the Huskers came no closer the rest of the way. Oklahoma State led by 14 tw ice in the second half and steadily extended its lead throughout the final four minutes of the game. One of the Huskers’ problems Thursday night came at the l'rcc throw line. Nebraska connected on only 7 of 13 shots from the line, while the Cowboys sank 87.9 percent of their free throws. “We just got shellacked,' Nee said. “No doubt about it, Oklahoma State just out-played us in every aspect of the game." Nee said that after upsets against Missouri and Kansas this season, he expected the Huskers to play with less emotion against Oklahoma State. “In the back of my mind, I know' (the possibility) is there," he said. “This can happen on any given night. Realistically, this puls the whole thing back into perspective." Nebraska, now 3-2 in the Big Eight and 12-9 overall, will lace Kansas State Saturday in Manhattan, Kan. The Wildcats arc currently 5-0 in the conference. Nee said the loss could affect Nebraska's ability to regroup after the loss to the Cowboys. “It’ll be very hard, because this was a tough loss, but I know we’re capable of it,” Nee said. Nee said he didn’t think the score w'as indicative of the Huskers’ talent. “We played extremely poor," he said. “I certainly don’t think we were as bad as we played. We played ex tremely poor — the turnovers, the missed shots, the lack of continuity. But give Oklahoma State credit. They did a nice job. “They made us look bad at times." Nee said he thought the game was an important one for Nebraska to win, considering the Huskers next five games. Nebraska will play at Kansas State Saturday, then return home to meet Oklahoma on Wednes day. Games at Missouri and and Kansas will follow the Oklahoma game. “This one hurt bad because it was at home,” Nee said. “We thought we had a chance to get it. “ Mark Davis/Daily Nebraskan Rich King (25), John Starks (middle) and Peter Manning, (35) fight for a rebound while Sylvester Kincheon of the Cowboys looks on in second half play of OSU’s victory over Nebraska Thursday night. Allen says Huskers favored to win NCAA By Richard Cooper Staff Reporter Nebraska men’s gymnastics coach Francis Allen w ill find out how good the Cornhuskers really are during the next two weeks. The Huskers, w ho arc ranked No. 11 by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches, will face No. S Arizona State, No. 7 Houston Baptist and No. 5 Iowa Sunday at 7 p.m. in the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Nebraska will then face UCLA, Illinois, Minnesota, Arizona State and New Mexico at the UCLA Invitational Feb. 13. Allen said the next two weeks will help prepare the Huskers for the NCAA Champion ships, April 14-16 in Lincoln. “Our team is going to find out what we re made of in the next two weeks,” Allen said. “But I still think we arc the favorites to win the NCAA’s because we have Tom Schlcsingcr and Kevin Davis, whoare thebcstall-aroundcrs in the nation right now.” Allen said Nebraska was about “half strength”during its victoricsagainst IowaStatc and Oklahoma last weekend. He said the Husk ers didn’t perform up to their capabilities be cause Schlcsingcr was bothered by an injured sternum, Davis was recovering from arthro scopic knee surgery, and freshman Ted Dimas missed three days of practice leading up to the meet because of illness. Allen ^aid Davis and Dimas w ill compete in the all-around in Sunday s meet, but Schlcsin ger will compete in only the pommel horse and floor exercise. Nebraska will have more scoring potential with Davis in the lineup, Allen said. “We’re going to have Davis back m the lineup, so that we’ll add another three- or four lOths to our score,” Allen said. “And since we have the home-floor advantage?, that w ill add another three- or four-KHhs to our score.” With threcofhis five all-aroundcrs out of the lineup last weekend, Allen said sophomores Bob Stelter and Patrick Kirksey met the chal lenge of being the only healthy all-arounders. Stelter scored an all-around score of 54.7 to finish second behind Mark Steves of Okla homa, who finished w ith a 56.65. Stelter also won the vaulting title with a 9.45 and tied Oklahoma’s Carlo Sabino for first place in the pommel horse competition w ith a 9.4. Kirksey placed third in the all-around with a 54.55, finishing first on the parallel bars with a 9.55 and lying lor second on the vault with Sieves. Allen said Kirksey and Stelteraredoing well as all-arounders. "Patrick and Bobby are meeting the chal lenge. They're working hard and scoring well in meets," Allen said. “They have improved so much since last year that when we gel back to full strength our scoring average is going to shoot way up." Allen said his team will have its hands full w ith Iow a, Houston Baptist and Arizona Stale because all three teams are loaded with young talent. Sunday's meet is the second time this season Arizona State and Houston Baptist have com peted against one another. Last weekend in Houston, Arizona Slate defeated the Huskies 273.55 to 273.25. Arizona Suite is led by Paul Unite, the 19X7 Pacific Ten Conference Champion on the hori zontal bar and still rings. Allen said Houston Baptist has half the Spanish Olympic team competing for it. The Huskies have four All-Americas on their roster, including Paul O’Neil, Alfonso Rodriguez., Miguel Rubio and Jose Barrio. O’Neil is the 19X7 NCAA still-rings cham pion. Rodrigue/, is a four-time All-America in the all-around w ho finished second in the still rings and third in the vault, and lied lor second in the high-bar competition at last year’s NCAA championships. Allen said Houston Baptist is one ol the top three teams in the nation even though it is ranked No. 7. “HBU is a very good team. Nobody really knows much about them because its such a small school, but they have some good people, Allen said. “Rodrigue/ is very good, and HBU’s other all-arounders have a lot of expe rience.” Allen said Iowa also can’t be taken lightly. He said the Hawkeyes compete in a tough conference in the Big Ten. Iowa men's gymnastics coach Tom Dunn said the Haw keyes are exc ited about competing against Nebraska. He said Iowa spent three weeks preparing for the meet. “We’re excited about coining to Nebraska. We feel that it ’s the first meet of the season for us,” Dunn said. “We w ant to score w ell against Nebraska, but I would say they’re the favorites to win on Sunday, and they’re my choice to win the NCAA’s.” Huskers hope times are changing against Wildcats Probable Starters: Nebraska (16-3, 6-1) Amy Stephens G Amy Bullock G Kim Harris C Maurliee Ivy F Heather Smith F Kansas State (8-12,1-6) Elysc Funk G Amy Davidson G Stacey Boyle C Janet Madsen F Diar.a Miller F By Mark Derowitsch Senior Reporter__ Nothing is sacred in the Big Eight anymore. Not even women’s basket ball. Just ask Nebraska coach Angela Beck. “Kansas Slate had a set program,” Beck said. “They used to be the front runner in women's basketball. Now, all of a sudden, times arc changing. We’ve started a winning tradition at Nebraska.” The Cornhuskers will face Kansas State, the co-dcfcnding regular sea son conference champions, Saturday at Ahearn Field House in Manhattan, Kan. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. Beck said she hopes another tradi tion will be broken Saturday — the Cornhuskers haven’t won in Ahearn in their last 12 tries. “This is another key game for us,” she said. “We have lo do every thing in order to win. “But I think we can do it.” Beck said Ahearn Field House is one reason the Wildcats do well at home. “Their field house is difficult for opponents to play in,’ Beck said. “I’m not sure if it’s tradition or if Kansas State has had good teams.” Kansas State coach Matilda Moss man said Kansas State has won at Ahearn because the Huskers haven’t been strong in the past. “1 just think we’ve had some very good teams in the past,” Mossman said. “Nebraska’s probably bringing in their best team this year, and we’re playing with our youngest team ever. So 1 don’t think yoircan look at our home court advantage this year.” Beck said in order for the Huskers to win, center Kim Harris must stop KansasState’s Stacey Boyle. Boyle,a 6-foot-2 junior from Dodge City, Kan., is averaging 9.1 points and 4.9 rebounds a game this season. “Harris will probably pick up Boyle defensively,” Beck said. “Boyle’s a real nice player. I think that will be a real key match-up.” Mossman said she doesn’t think the post position will be an important one for the Wildcats. “We’ve had a real tough year in the post,” Mossman said. “Boyle’s not producing like we anticipated she would. The post has definitely not been one of our strong points this year.” Beck said the Huskers didn’t match up very well with Kansas State the first time the two teams played this season. Nebraska defeated the Wildcats 82-72 at the Bob Dcvancy Sports Center. “We’ll have to do a better job in finding the right defense and the right combinations against them," Beck said. “When we played them ihe first time, we played horrible and still came away with a 10-point win.” The Wildcats defeated Iowa State 83-70 Wednesday night for their first conference win of the year. Beck said Kansas State’s win could have a dual effect on Saturday’s game. “The positive thing for us is they might be over-ecstatic about their win,” Beck said. “But the negative thing is they could use that game to get back on the winning track.” Mossman said playing Nebraska is hard with or without a conference victory. “The win over Iowa Stale got the monkey off our backs,” Mossman said. “But we’re playing the league leaders, and we’re going to have to play our best game of the year in order to beat them.”
