Nee says win was psychological boost
By Steve Sipple
Staff Reporter_
Nebraska’s 74-70 win against
Kansas Saturday wasn’t the most
well-played game, but for Corn
husker coach Danny Nee it didn’t
have to be
After losing five straight confer
ence games, all Ncc wanted was a
victory - in any way, shape or form.
“We’re just pleased to get the win
over what we think is a quality bas
ketball team,” said Ncc, whose
Huskers ended a nine-game confer
ence losing streak dating to last sea
son. ‘‘It wasn’t the prettiest thing in
the world, but it was a good win for
Nebraska because we needed it so
badly.”
Nebraska overcame 28 personal
fouls and 26 turnovers to notch its
first Big Eight win in front of 9,245
fans at the Bob Devancy Sports Cen
ter. The Huskers, now 13-9 overall,
also came close to blowing a 16-poini
halftime lead.
For awhile it looked like Kansas
might pull a comeback similar to the
one Nebraska used last season in its
70-68 win against the eventual
NCAA champions. The Huskers
erased a 16-point deficit in the final
12 minutes to win that game at the
sports center.
On Saturday, Kansas, down 39-23
at half, ued the game 66-66 with 1:46
left on a jump-hook shot by Freeman
West. But Nebraska got three free
throws irom Eric Johnson, a three
point play from Cliff Scales and two
free throws by Ray Richardson the
rest of the way to hold off the Jay
hawks.
Kansas, 16-6 and 3-4, lost it third
straight league game. The Jayhawks
were also plagued by turnovers and
fouls, committing 31 and 20, respec
tively.
Kansas, which entered the game
hitting 54.1 percent of its field goals,
hit just 22 of 52 -- 42.3 percent.
Nebraska wasn’t much better -- 23 of
52, or 44.2 percent.
The Jayhawks, who entered the
game averaging 16 turnovers a game,
had 14 at halftime.
But the only statistic that mattered
to Nee was the added 4W’ on the
Huskers’ season record. The last time
Nebraska lost its first five league
games was during the 1962 63 sea
son, when the Huskers lost 10 con
secutive.
“Psychologically, this gives us a
really big lift,” Nee said. “To the
fans, all our supporters and to the kids
and me. Psychologically, when
you’re 0-5 and everyone’s talking
about it... we just had to find a way
to win.”
Nebraska looked like it may win
easily during the first half. In addition
to the Jayhawks’ turnover problems
during die period, they also made
only 7 of 22 field goals. Kansas for
ward Mill Newton, who entered the
game scoring 17 points per game,
was 0 for 5 from the field.
Kevin Pritchard was the only Jay
hawk to score more than three first
half points, scoring 10.
Kansas managed a 17-14 lead with
10:45 left. But the Jayhawks were '
stuck at 17 for the next 5:48, enabling
Nebraska to take a 26-17 lead before
Scan Alvarado’s free throws ended
Kansas’ dry spell.
Nebraska outscored Kansas 25-6
over the period’s last 9:15.
“I wasn’t shocked, I was
pleased,’’ Nee said of the first half.
“Our goal was to try to win the first
half and go from there.’’
The issue was far from decided. It
took Johnson’s and Richardson’s
Allen Schaben/Daily Nebraskan
' Nebraska s Clifford Scales attempts to shoot over Kansas
Freeman West (left), then is called for charging as he runs
into Mike Maddox.
clutch free throws and a key three
point play by Scales to knock off the
Jayhawks.
Kansas had just forced a 67-67 tie
at 1:17 when Seales drove the right
side of the lane, banked in a shot off
the glass and was fouled by West.
Scales hit the frcc-lhrow for a 70-67
lead with 1:01 left.
Richardson hit both ends of a one
and-one with 30 seconds lett,
Johnson did the same 15 seconds later
and Nebraska had its first Big Eight
victory.
It was about lime, Nee said. He
said the game’s final two minutes
seemed to last “an eternity.”
“It was like a 15-round fight,” he
said.
KU guard reflects on the season after Husker upset
By Nick Hodge
Senior Reporter
The Kansas men’s basketball
team has been through worse slumps,
but they’ve also been through better
times, Jayhawk guard Kevin
Pritchard said Saturday.
Kansas started the season by win
ning 13 of 14 games before losing
five of its next eight, including a 74
70 setback to the Comhuskers Satur
day at the Bob Dcvancy Sports Cen
ter.
With the loss, Kansas dropped to
16-6 overall and 3-4 in the Big Eight.
Meanwhile, Nebraska ended a nine
game conference losing skid dating
back to last season and raised its rec
ord to 13-9 overall and 1-5 in the
conference.
Last year, the Jayhawks posted an
11-3 mark prior to losing five of their
next six games cn route to winning
the NCAA Division I national cham
pionship. One of those defeats was a
70-68 loss to Nebraska in Lincoln
Jan. 27.
Pritchard, who led the Jayhawks
Saturday with 17 points, said he
couldn't understand his team’s prob
lems.
“College basketball . . . some
times you can’t explain things,’’ the
6-foot-3 junior from Tulsa, Okla.,
said. “We’re not playing well. We’re
trying hard. It’s just a crazy game. I
guess that’s what makes it a great
game.”
Kansas made only 7 of 22 field
goals in the first half while being out
rebounded 27-13. The Jayhawks
trailed Nebraska 39-23 at halftime.
Pritchard scored Kansas’ first
eight points to give the Jayhawks an
8-6 lead with 15:09 remaining in the
first half. He hit 4 of 5 shots and
scored 10 first-half points.
Despite his efforts, Pritchard said
he could have contributed more.
“Sometimes players go out and
play and if their shots go, they go,”
hesaid. “A lot of the guys didn’t have
a good shooting night, but that’s just
basketball. I don’t think I played a
good overall game. I thought I could
have done a lot more things defen
sively.”
The Jayhawks overcame their
poor first-half shooting performance
to hit 50 percent of their second half
shots from the field, connecting on 15
of 30 attempts.
At halftime, Pritchard said, the
Kansas coaches and players knew the
Jayhawks could win the game if they
played a better second half.
“At the beginning of the second
half, we had a chance to win,” he
said. “You never go out thinking you
are going to lose. We are a better team
than that.”
With better shooting and defen
sive pressure, the Jayhawks battled
back to slice Nebraska’s lead to 41 -28
with 18:31 remaining in the game.
Pritchard’s 12-foot baseline
jumper with 5:17 left to play cut the
Huskers’ advantage to 62-57. His
steal at the 1:49 mark led to a short
basket by forward Freeman West to
tie the score at 66-66.
An uncontcstcd layup by Pritchard
with 18 seconds remaining pulled the
Jayhawks lo within 72-70, but Kansas
wouldn’t score again. Nebraska
guard Eric Johnson sealed the victory
when he hit two free throws with 15
seconds left.
NU’s Jelks sets
Sports Center
record in 200
By Darraa Fowler
Staff Reporter
If Nebraska's Bobby Jelks
has his headphones, a partisan
crowd and the fourth lane, the
junior sprinter is tough to beat
Jelks had that combination
going for him in Saturday's
indoor track meet Against Kan
sas State, and he parlayed it into
a record-setting performance in
the 200-meter dash.
A crowd of 875 witnessed as
Jelks qualified for his first
NCAA meet by winning the
event in 21.21. His time also
bettered the Bob Devaney
Sports Center record of 21.45
set by Kevin Little of Drake in
1988.
"Today ! was lucky," Jelks
said. "Not lucky to wifi, but
lucky lo run the nee. I almost
missed the whole race because l
left my headphones at home
and 1 never run a race without
my headphones."
With his headphones on.
Jelks said, he likes to warm up
in front of the crowd. He said
those two elements arc what
pump him up before a race. He
also said that the fourth lane,
which is generally the lane for
the event's best runner, has
been his favorite since high
school
Jelks said he had to rush to
his dorm room for his head
phones. In doing so, he said, he
didn ’t have the tunc to warm up
the way he likes. _
See JELKS on 10
Nebraska runs over KSU
despite Arkansas’ absence
By Paul Domeier
Stiff Reporter _
An ice storm could not keep the
Nebraska men’s and women’s
track teams from posting dual
meet victories Saturday at the Bob
Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska track coach Gary
Pepin said the meet became a dual
instead of the originally scheduled
triangular because weather condi
tions prevented Arkansas from
attending. He said the Razorbacks
were the victims of a one-inch ice
storm that canceled their travel
plans on Thursday night.
Pepin said he was not sure what
effect Arkansas’ absence had on
the meet.
The Nebraska men held off
Kansas State to post a 76-54 vic
tory, while the Nebraska women
pounded Kansas State 65-29.
“1 don’t know if that hurt or
helped us,” Pepin said. “From a
learn point of view, we had about
all we could handle.
“If you have a meet and you
have someone kicking your rear
end, you arcn t worried about
whose not there.”
Pepin said be had mixed feel
ings about the meet, which was
attended by $75 people.
“We were flat in some areas,”
he said. “We had a couple out
standing performances, and some
that weren’t really outstanding.”
One of those outstanding per
formances came from Bobby
Jclks, a junior from Decatur, 111.,
who qualified for the NCAA
championships by running the
..
200-meter dash in 21.21. That
mark shattered the former sports
center record set by Drake’s Kevin
Little, who covered the distance in
21.45 in 1988.
Jelks' victory, plus strong per
formances in the 3,000 and the
pole vault, helped the Nebraska
men build a lead that put the meet
out of reach. Harold Graham
edged teammates Joe Kirby and
Jacques van Rensburg to win the
3,000 title in 8:16.32. Nebraska’s
Kean Mun, Brad Welshaar and
Rick Schwieger then claimed the
top three spots in the pole vault to
give the Huskcrs a commanding
lead entering the 1,600 relay and
the triple jump competitions.
The Nebraska women domi
nated their portion of the meet, as
they began by claiming the top
four spots in the long jump en
route to defeating Kansas State.
Freshman Tanya Lidy began the
meet by winning the long jump
with a leap of 19-foot-5, and All
America selection Lirvctta Wilson
ended it by running down Kansas
Slate's Rhonda Jackson in the last
leg of 1,600 relay.
Pepin said he was impressed by
Kansas State.
“They beat us in some events 1
didn’t think they would,’’ he said.
“Now they can look at their team
and say they can be contenders. “
Nebraska’s next meet is on
Friday and Saturday, when it
competes in the Frank Scvignc
Husker Invitational at the sports
center. The meet is expected to
draw 9^0 athletes.
William Uu*r/D*Hy N»bra»9utn
Nebraska's Jacques van Rensburg leads the pack in the
3,000-meter run.
i
9 .*...•>