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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 1991)
Sports Buff player hopes to stampede No. 17 NU By John Adkisson Staff Reporter When ESPN and ABC basketball analyst Dick Vitale spoke to the Colo rado basketball team before the sea son began, he had one simple mes sage for the Buffaloes — relax and win games. And so far, baby, they’ve listened. With an 11-4 record, Colorado is well on its way to turning around last year’s 12-18 mark. Tomorrow, in a 5:35 p.m game on ESPN from Boul der, Colo., the Buffs will try to knock off the Big Eight’s biggest surprise, 16-1 and 17th-ranked Nebraska. Stevie Wise, a senior guard for Colorado, said Vitale’s talk set the tone for the season. “Coach Vitale told us that we’d better take advantage of the time we have in college,” Wise satd. “Basket ball is not everything, but he said it’s a lot more fun when you’re winning.” Wise has been a major contributor to the Buffaloes’ winning ways, aver aging 21.3 points per game. Last week, he was named Big Eight Player of the Week for scoring 20 points in a 113 97 loss at Oklahoma. The increased productivity from Wise can be traced to first-year Colo rado coach Joe Harrington, whose new “run, press, shoot, score”offense has taken advantage of Wise’s out side shooting. Wise said he likes the up-tempo game. “I’m at my best when I’m in the open court,” he said. “The new of fense has created a lot of opportuni ties for me, and I enjoy playing in it, no doubt.” And Harrington has also brought a sense of optimism to the Buffaloes. Wise said some of the players were thinking about obtaining the school’s Basketball standings: Nebraska 2-0 16-1 Oklahoma 3-1 14-3 Missouri 3-1 10-5 Colorado 1-1 11-4 Oklahoma State 1-2 11-4 Kansas 1-2 11-4 Iowa State 1-2 7-12 Kansas State 0-3 9-6 Amie DeFrain/Dally Nebraskan first postseason berth since 1969. “Making the NCAA tournament is something we’re focusing on,” Wise said. “That’s in the back of a lot of guys’ minds.” Wise and the Buffaloes came into national prominence last season when Colorado went to the final of the Big Eight Tournament. Both were named to the All-Toumament team, and Wise scored 76 points in three games. Reaching the final of the confer ence tournament last year may have been the key to Colorado’s success this year, Wise said. “The tournament was definitely a milestone for us,” Wise said. “It gave us momentum coming into this sea son, and it’s obviously carried over.” Despite his 21-point-per-gamc average, Wise is second on his team in that category behind center Shaun Vandiver, who is averaging 21.7 ppg. Both have scored in double figures in every Colorado game this year. “Shaun and I are able to find each other at the right times,” Wise said. “As seniors, we want to get the ball when it counts.” The Comhuskers rely on a more balanced attack with five players averaging double-digit scoring and no one above 15.8 ppg. But it’s been enough to go 16-1, which Wise said has caught him off guard. “It’s easy to get thrown off when you’re reading prescason magazines that picked them last,” Wise said. “They’re a really good team, and you have to tip your hats to them.” As for Tuesday’s matchup, Wise said it could come down to which team is deeper. He said he and Ne braska guard Clifford Scales could “neutralize each other,” as could Vandiver and Husker center Rich King. “Basically, it could come down to the third and fourth men in our lineups,” Wise said. “It’ll be a case of whoever steps up and wants to win it more.” Halsne hits milestones in NU win By Chris Hopfensperger Senior Reporter Nebraska women’s basketball player Ann Halsne isn’t very impressed with herself. The senior who scored her 1,000th point and grabbed her 500th rebound Saturday was more excited about her team’s 68-53 win over Colo rado. “(Scoring 1,000 points) is just something NEBRASKA 68 COLORADO 53 that comes along with being here four years,” Halsne said, “but the win was a lot more important.” Nebraska, which won only two conference games last year, moved into a three-way tie for first in the Big Eight at 3-1. Nebraska coach Angela Beck said the win was even sweeter because it came over Colo rado— the preseason pick to win the Big Eight. “Our kids didn’t give them anything,” Beck said. “We’ve been pounded by Colorado sev eral times, and I felt like we wanted to show them no mercy.” The Huskcrs, who had not beaten Colorado since a 85-73 overtime win in 1988, improved their record to 12-5. Beck had little to complain about as Ne braska took control of the game early, holding the Lady Buffs to 22 percent shooting from the floor in the first half. “I enjoyed sitting and watching this one,” Beck said. “I thought the kids were firing on all cylinders.” Using a variety of defenses the Huskers shut out Colorado’s second-leading scorer, fresh man Jumillah Lang. The Huskcrs were led by sophomore Karen Jennings’ 29 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Sue Hcsch contributed 16 points and 15 boards. The offense, guided by freshman Mcggan Al Schaben/Daliy Nebraskan Colorado’s Nicky Anderson, right, battles for a loose ball with Nebraska’s Karen Jennings, who led the Cornhuskers with 29 points in Saturday’s game. Ycdsena, easily broke Colorado’s press — a defense that would have given the Huskcrs fits last season. “Now with Yedscna, they can’t press us,” Beck said. “Everybody’s got to go back draw ing board, because she will not be pressed.” Beck said the Huskers have been playing much better since their 76-71 loss to Kansas State in their first conference game. “That was like a wake-up call for us,” Beck said. Halsnc, who became the llih Husker lo reach the 1,000-poinimark, is currently 11th in Nebraska career scoring (1,003), ninth in re bounding (503) and fourth in career free throws (227). Coming on the tails of Wednesday night’s 67-64 upset of No. 24 Oklahoma Stale, the See BECK on 10 Runner recalls career, climb to success By John Gardner Staff Reporter Jerry Marsee started his senior indoor track season on top Saturday, winning the 600-meter dash in the Nebraska All-Comers Meet at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Marsee started his freshman year at the bottom, because of a lack of high school coaching and experience. “Track wasn’t a big sport at my school,’’ he said. Marsee went to high school in San Pedro, Calif., a Los Angeles suburb. He tried out for the team his senior year, and his coach put him in the 400. The first time he ran the 400, he broke the school record with a lime of 48.44 seconds. Marsee was the Los Angeles city champion that year. He was the only team member to qualify for the state meet, the second one to do so in 15 years. That was enough to get him into Nebraska’s program, but he was still starting at the bottom. Marsee said his freshman season was de voted simply to adjusting to the level of compe tition. “When I came to Nebraska, 1 sure got a slap in the face during workouts,” he said. Marsee said he developed a little during his sophomore year. He had the ninth-best qualify ing time in the 400 at the Big Eight outdoor meet that year, one spot away from making the final. “I was right on the verge of getting the hang of things at (that) point," he said. Marsee got the hang of things in his junior year when he was moved to the 600. The first time Marsee ran that race, at the Husker Invita tional, he set a school record with a time of 1:19.05. Marsee said the time was the best in the nation that year. It was also the only lime he ran that distance. "This year, the 600 is in two or three meets, so, hopefully, I will be able to break my own record," Marsee said. Later in 1990 at the Drake Relays, Marsee was on the 1,600-meter relay team that ran the See MARSEE on 11 Husker coach riding high on UNO defeat By Chuck Green Senior Reporter The last few days have been an emotional rollercoaster ride for Nebraska wrestling coach Tim Neumann. Right now, he’s at a peak. After Thursday night’s 24-19 win against No. 15 Clcmson, in which the fifth-ranked Comhuskcrs blew a 24-3 lead, Neumann said he was ready to cancel the rest of the season until the Big Eight tournament. But on Saturday night, after the Huskers beat the University of Nebraska at Omaha 29 Nebraska 29 UNO 13 13 af the Bob Dcvaney Sports Center, he was envisioning a top-three finish at the NCAA tournament. “This team has a lot of character,” bicumann said. “I honestly think we have the people to finish in the top three in the country.” That is, he said, if the Huskers don’t lose any more starters to injuries. Nebraska wrestled UNO without four of its starters. The Husker lineup included only four of the 10 regulars from the start of the season. Two weeks ago, All-Americans Scott Chc noweth, the starter in the 167-pound weight class, and 190-poundcr Chris Nelson were lost to injuries. Against Clcmson, Dave Droegem ucl ler and A11 - A mcr ic an Corey 01 son injured their knees and will be sidelined indefi nitely. But Neumann remained optimistic. “If we get Droegemuellcr, Olson and Nel son back, and everybody else slays healthy, we’ll end up in the lop three. “I may be sticking my foot in my mouth again, but I really feel that way.” Against the Mavericks Saturday night, the Huskers jumped toa 20-2 lead and never looked back. Nebraska’s Matt Lundquist and UNO’s Ted Nelson battled to a 6-6 draw at 118, start ing the dual at 2-2. After that, the Mavericks won only one weight class — a 17-1 technical fall by Jessie Smith over Wall Wonder at 167. The rest of UNO’s points came at 190 on a Nebraska forfeit, which came because of the restructured lineup and the lack of backups. Three H uskers—Jason Kelber (124), Lay nc Billings (150) and Todd Enger (158) — re corded major decisions over their opponents, and Nebraska heavyweight Sonny Manley won by forfeit over Jason Franklin after Franklin collided with Manley’s head and broke his nor,c. The win improved Nebraska’s dual record to 6-4. UNO is now 1-1 this season. Neumann was most pleased about the lack of injuries against UNO. “No one got hurt tonight,” he said. “That was the biggest thing. What was great was that we had a rag-tag line-up on paper, but See UNO on 10