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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 29, 1990)
NU shocks Spartans By Paul Domeier Senior Reporter When Beau Reid stepped up to take the shot that meant win or lose Wednesday for the Comhuskers, he was only the seventh-leading scorer on the team. When Reid knocked it down, the Nebraska men’s basketball team was 71-69 winners over No. 5-ranked Michigan State at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. “There wasn’t a doubt it my mind when I did it,” Reid said. Reid’s shot came at the end of a second half that included 10 ties, nine lead changes and no lead bigger than four points. However, had the Spartans shot better from the free-throw line, the game would have been theirs. The last two misses hurt the most. Mark Montgomery stepped to the line to shoot two shots with 39 sec onds remaining. Nebraska led 68-67. Montgomery missed both shots, as the Spartans hit 7 of 19 free throws on the night. Nebraska’s Carl Hayes was fouled near midcourt. Hayes missed his free throw, too. Michigan State rebounded the ball and called time out. Nebraska came out in the 1-2-2 /.one thalhad kept Michigan State out of the lane all night. But while every one was watching Spartan superstar Steve Smith with the ball at the point, Malt Stcigcnga snuck down the baseline. Smith lobbed the ball to Sleigenga for the dunk and Michigan Stale led 69-68 with 15 seconds re maining. The Huskcrs worked the ball downcourt and called time out with seven seconds left to set ud a olav. Reid was to pass the ball to Tony Farmer in the corner. One of Farmer’s options is to pass back to Reid, though Nebraska the players had to know that. “(Coach Danny Nee) didn’t go over that option, to be honest,” Reid said. Reid passed the ball to Farmer, who was doubled-tcamed, nudged off balance and nearly fouled by Steigcnga. Steigenga had been guarding Reid so Farmer, falling out of bounds, flipped the ball to Reid for the wing jumper, a foot behind the three-point line. “Oh, my God, it was incredible,” said Rich King, who led the Huskers with 13 points. “I was getting into position for the rebound and I just saw it going through the net.” Michigan State called time out with three seconds left, but Clifford Scales stole the inbounds pass to secure the win. The game was the second-straight two-p«int game for the 2-1 Huskers. Sunday in the San Juan Shootout, after routing two teams, Nebraska lost 81-79 to Murray Stale. “Down in Puerto Rico, we huddled everyone up after the (Murray State) game and told everyone this was good for us,” said Reid, a team co-captain. ‘“It’s going to pay off Wednesday night against Michigan State.’” Nebraska coach Danny Nee said it payed off because the Huskers re fused to fold to the 1-1 Spartans. “I didn’t think we played nervous or afraid at the end,” Nee said. The Huskers had to stay composed as King and Hayes, the team’s two leading scorers, combined for only seven points as Nebraska took a 34 32 halftime lead. “Carl Haves iust said in the locket room, ‘Who cares who hit the shot oi who scored? We won,”’ Reid said. The 14,561 fans, a record for a Nebraska home-opener and for a regular-season non-conference game, didn’t care. They came to watch great basketball and to watch Nebraska win. “It was a tremendous, tremendous battle for November,” Nee said. “It was a great college basketball game. The intensity rose as it went along.” Michigan State had jumped to an 11-4 lead. When the score hit 16-12, Nebraska ran off 12 points to lead 24 12. Michigan State battled back for two lies before the period ended, lead ing to the see-saw second half that finally rested on Reid’s shot. “If had went on for 30 seconds, the score would have changed,” Nee said. Smith scored 27 points and Stcigenga added 14. But Nebraska’s balanced attack, with four players in double figures, provided the upset. “We didn’t get one of these last year,” said Nee, whose team went 10-18 last year in his fourth season as Nebraska’s coach. “It was as good a win as I can remember.” Michigan State 32 37 — 69 At Nebraska. 34 37 — 71 Michigan State — Steigenga 7-11 0-0 14, Hickman 4-13 1-4 9, Peplowski 3-5 0-2 6, Montgomery 3-8 2-6 9, Smith 11-20 2-3 27, Stephens 1-3 2-2 4, Casler 0-0 0-2 0, Zulauf 0 0 0-0 0 Totals 29 60 7-19 69 Nebraska — Owens 5-7 0-0 10, Hayes 4-9 0 1 8, King 6-14 1-2 13, Scales 4-11 0-0 10, Reid 3-7 0-0 8, Farmer 5-8 1-2 12, Piatkowski 1-5 2-2 4, Moody 2-4 1-2 6, Chubick 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-66 5-9 71. 3-point goals — Michigan State 4-11 (Smith 3-6. Montgomery 1-5), Nebraska 6 12 (Reid 2-4, Scales 2-3, Farmer 1-2, Moody 1-1, Piatkowski 0-2) Rebounds — Michigan State 38 (Hickman 10), Nebraska 39 (King, Farmer 6) Assists — Michigan State 20 (Montgomery 8), Nebraska 22 (four with 4) Turnovers — Michigan State 15 (Smith 5), Nebraska 14 (Reid 3). Total fouls — Michigan State 14, Nebraska 16 A — 14,561. ' Willett Daily Nebraskan Nebraska’s Beau Reid puts up a shot over Michigan State defenders during Wednesday night’s game ai the Bob Deva ney Sports Center. Beck hoping for defensive concentration By Chris Hopfensperger Senior Reporter The Nebraska women’s bas kctbali team is taking its show on the road, and Coach Angela Beck hopes her players take their defense with them. The team has been concen trating on defense since giving up 85 points to the Australian [Junior Women’s National team in a pre-season exhibition loss. That paid off, Beck said, as the Comhuskers started the season by winning last week end’s Wimmer’s Invitational and holding their first two opponents to a combined 95 points. II he detense won the tour nament,” Beck said. “So I’m real pleased with our defensive intensity. “That’s what we want to take on the road with us.” The Huskcrs open their three game road trip Thursday night at Robert Morris College in a warm-up for this weekend’s Buckeye Classic at Ohio State University. Beck said she expects a fast paced game. The Colonials run a quick offense and their tallest player is only six feet tall, she said. Three of the Huskcrs start ers are over six foot. “We do not match up with them very well at all,” 3eck said. “We like to run, but we do have some size too. “They re very, very quick.” Beck said the Huskers will try to control the tempo of the game to combat the speed of the Robert Morris squad. “I think we can really domi See BECK on 14 King, Hayes score 14 in second half By John Aakisson Staff Reporter A sour beginning turned into a jubilant conclusion Wednesday for two Nebraska basketball players. Rich King and Carl Hayes, shak ing off bad early performances, com bined for 14 second-half points and helped lead Nebraska past No. 5 Michigan State 81-79. King, who scored his 1 ,(XX)th ca reer point in the victory, said he wanted to do too much early in the game. “I was pressing a little bit in the first half,” King said “1 was mad at myself because I was hurting the team.” But the 7-foot-2 center came alive when Nebraska needed him most. In the game’s final six minutes, King made three driving baseline layups to keep the Comhuskcrs close. Teammate Beau Reid, who sank a game-winning jumper with live sec onds left, credited King for putting the Huskers in a position to win. “Rich King down at the end was playing phenomenal,” Reid said. “They couldn’t stop him.” Hayes, too, made crunch-time baskets. After a 1 for 5 shooting per formance in the first half, he returned to form by hitting three of four shots in the second. Hayes said the Spartans frustrated him early. “The first half I wasn’t able to what I’d done before,” Hayes said. “But in the second half, the coaches told me to go one and one and it worked belter.’’ Hayes complimented Steve Smith, Michigan State’s All-American point guard. Smith finished the game with 27 points. “He’s a great player,” Hayes said. But, Hayes said, the Spartans re lied too much on Smith and junior forward Matt Steigenga. “They’veonly got oneguy (Smith) who can score,” Hayes said. “Steigenga got his cheap little baskets under neath the hoop, and that was all.” The win, Hayes said, was a confi dence-builder for the Huskers, who lost 18 games last season. “It’s going to give our team a big boost,” Hayes said. “We know we’ve got the talent, and now we know we can win a big game like this one.” Hayes also said it was good to beat their second B ig Ten team of the year. Last weekend, the Huskers beat Illi nois 100-73 in the semifinals of the San Juan Shootout. “Big Ten, look ouL Look out baby,” Hayes said with a laugh. “We’re on a roll.” King agreed. “It’s the best win of my life,” King said. “This gives us a lot of confidence to win a game like we did.” David Fahleson/Daily Nebraskan Nebraska’s Beau Reid (40) deflects a pass intended for Michigan State’s Mark Montgomery (11).