Sports
David Fahleson Daily Nebraskan
Nebraska guard Eric Johnson applies defensive pressure to Colorado’s Steve
Wise.
Explosion leads NU
Hot shooting leads the Huskers
to a 38-point rout of Colorado
I By Nick Hodge
Senior Reporter
and Mark Antonietti
Staff Reporter
A first-half explosion Wednesday night at
the Bob Devaney Sports Center led the Ne
braska men’s basketball team to a 97-59 vic
tory against Colorado and carried the Com
huskers out of the Big Eight cellar.
Nebraska coach Danny Nee said the Huskers
were fortunate that Colorado had an off night.
The Buffaloes connected on 31.8 percent of
their field goals in the first half, compared to
73.1 percent for Nebraska. Colorado also fin
ished the first half with 16 turnovers, compared
to 11 for the Huskers.
Those figures helped Nebraska score the
final 14 points of the first half to take a 50-20
lead at halftime.
“In all aspects of the game, it was obvious
that we caught a cold Colorado team,” Nee
said. “I really have to give credit to the kids
who came out and played good defense. They
were aggressive on the boards - took the game
at Colorado.”
Buffalo coach Tom Miller agreed.
“The key in the first half was the 16 turn
overs and being outrebounded 17-7,” Miller
said.
Nee said he wanted Nebraska to establish its
transition game in the first half. He said he
See NEE on 17
_i_
Nebraska guard Amy Bullock drives towards the basket as Colorado's
Crystal Ford pursues.
History in the making
Colorado uses balance, maturity
to keep Big Eight record perfect
By Jeff A pel
Senior Editor
There was at least one person who was im
pressed by the Colorado women’s basketball
team following its 71-63 victory against Ne
braska Wednesday night at the Bob Devaney
Sports Center.
Nebraska women’s basketball coach Angela
Beck said she was impressed by Colorado,
which kept its hopes alive of becoming the first
women’s team in Big Eight history logo unde
feated during the conference’s regular-season.
The win raised the No. 10-ranked Buffaloes
record to 23-3 overall and 13-0 in the Big
Eight.
“They deserve to be where they are,’’ Beck
said. “We got beat by a team that’s undefeated
and you know why. I see a lot of maturity in
them. I see great balance.”
Beck said Nebraska lacked that same type of
maturity down the stretch, as the Comhuskers
were outscored by Colorado 13-7 during the
game’s final 4:14. She said the Buffaloes ex
ploited Nebraska’s weaknesses en route to
dropping the Huskers’ record to 14-12 overall
and 5-7 in the Big Eight.
“I thought we had great effort but effort
doesn’t win ball games,” Beck said. “I think
we’re a good basketball team but we just lack
some leadership to get the job done down the
stretch.”
See BECK on 17
Oklahoma Big 8’s best bet for NCAA title
There won’t be another “Cinder
ella" national champion from the
Big Eight this season.
If a Big Eight team wins the
NCAA title, it won’t be an upset like
last year, unless a team like Nebraska
or Colorado wins it. Then it wouldn’t
be just an upset — it would be a
phenomenon.
— i—rr~t
Needless to say, the Big Eight is a
much improved conference from top
to bottom. And the top two teams in
the conference can compete with
anybody in the nation.
This season could produce a re
peat of last years’ NCAA champion
ship game, only substitute Missouri
for Kansas. Kansas won last year’s
NCAA title by defeating Oklahoma
83 79 in Kemper Arena in Kansas
City, Mo.
But don’t count out Kansas State
I
or Oklahoma Slate. The Wildcats are
having a season much like Kansas did
last year.
The only thing the Wildcats are
missing is a center/forward like
Danny Manning, who led the Jay*
hawks to the title and was the Na
tional Basketball Association’s No. 1
pick in the amateur draft in June.
Some say last season’s dream
game, which pitted two Big Eight
teams against each other, was a fluke.
Those people won’t be talking much
in March.
Oklahoma coach Billy Tubbs has
said he’s expecting the Sooners to
make another Final Four appearance.
He also said he won’t be satisfied
with anything less than a national
championship.
And don’t be surprised if he ’ s very
content at the end of the 64-team
tournament. With seniors Stacey
King and Mookie Blaylock leading
the way, it will be an upset if the
Sooners don’t return to the Final
Four. . _ .
Tubbs is already preparing for the
tournament. Last week, the No. 1
ranked Sooners defeated No. 3 Mis
souri, then No. 1-ranked Arizona and
defending national champion Kan
sas, which is ineligible for this year’s
tournament.
“This isn’t a cupcake schedule,”
Tubbs said. "This is a champagne
schedule.”
Since the Sooners came away with
a 3-0 record that week and regained
the No. 1 spot in the country, Okla
homa fans will have something to
think about besides a crippled foot
ball program.
And how about Missouri?
The coach Norm Stewart-less
Tigers (he will miss the rest of the
season because of cancer and stom
ach surgery) have enough balance
and depth to play with anybody.
If they can concentrate with all the
things surrounding the program right
now, they’ll be very much in the hunt.
But die Tigers must get by the first
round of the tournament, something
they have failed to do each of the past
seven seasons.
When Missouri handed the Com
huskers an 89-72 loss in Lincoln ear
lier this season, (remember - after
the game Stewart called Nebraska
coach Danny Nee a bush-league
coach), some Tiger fans were holding
signs that said “Nebraska chokes in
bowl games,” referring to the Husk
ers football team.
Well, Tiger fans, that may be true,
but you don’t have much room to
talk.
Losses to Rhode Island and Xaivcr
in the first round of the NC A A Tour
nament aren’t something to boast
about It seems that maybe the
Huskcr football team lets Missouri
use their noose during basketball
season.
Oklahoma Stale could also be
making a run, provided the Cowboys
play all their tournament games on
neutral floors.
The Cowboys have had their prob
lems playing on the road this season.
A prime example of that would be
Tuesday night’s 89-87 loss to Ne
braska.
Regardless, it’s highly unlikely
that the Big Eight will place three
teams in the “Great Eight’’ or two in
the Final Four.
But one is likely, and the Big
Eight’s high hopes for a repeat na
tional champion rests in the hands
Oklahoma.
Derowitsch Is a Junior news-editor 1st
m^jor and Is a Dally Nebraskan senior re
porter and sports columnist.
;
By Craig Christensen
_OCR Relations Director
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CHI PHI vs. FIJI A S
6PM., FEB. 23
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