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Tough NU defense keeps
hands on ball for victory
By Todd Cooper
Staff Reporter
The Nebraska men’s basketball team, the
highest-scoring team in school history, worried
first about the other end of the court Sunday.
“The defensive intensity was incredible,”
forward Beau Reid said. “We decided before
the game that we were going to play 40 minutes
dial way. We knew that if we played that
intense, we’d win.”
The 15th-ranked Huskers, 24-6 and 9-5 and
third in the Big Eight, used a stingy man-to
man and two match-up zones to defeat Kansas
85-75 in front of 14,615 fans at the Bob Deva
ney Sports Center.
“We wanted to make them work for their
points,” senior guard Keith Moody said. “Coach
(Danny) Nee told us he knew they’re not really
good free-throw shooters, so don’t be afraid to
foul them.”
The eighth-ranked Jayhawks, 21-6 and 10-4
with a share of the conference title, missed
eight straight free throws in the last six minutes
of the game as Nebraska turned a three-point
game into the final margin.
But the Huskers’ defensive intensity re
sulted in more than just missed Kansas free
throws. Nebraska led 40-31 at halftime, despite
16 first-half turnovers, partly by forcing 20
turnovers from the Jayhawks.
The Huskers caused 26 total Jayhawk turn
overs, four in the last six minutes of the game.
Those statistics were the difference in the
game for senior guard Clifford Scales, who
finished with 14 points and three steals.
“When you play defense and all five players
are playing together, that wins games and that
really helps your offense,” Scales said. “You
let them know that you’re there and you get
them out of their rhythm.
“You get steals, you get rebounds, you get
the ball a lot.”
Scales got the ball enough to hold off an
early second-half Jayhawk surge. With a 14-7
run, Kansas cut the lead to 47-45 with 15:16
remaining. Scales then hit consecutive jumpers
to increase the lead to 51-45.
“At that point, I felt we needed a lift,” Scales
said. “It gave us some breathing room, and then
Rich (King) and our inside players took over
from there.”
But King, who had 14 points and nine re
bounds, and his partners didn’t take over com
pletely.
Kansas cut Nebraska’s lead to within a
basket five times from the 11:25 mark until just
over five minutes left.
Nebraska held off Kansas’ last threat with a
baseline bucket by King to increase the lead to
six, 79-73, with 1:22 left. Jayhawk center Mark
Randall — who had 15 second-half points —
picked up his fifth foul on the play.
Sooner or later, forward Tony Farmer knew
one of Kansas’ big men woyld take a seat.
“We just kept playing physical and banging
and banging away and pretty soon they were
beating themselves,” he said.
For Farmer, who had 18 points and 13
rebounds, that physical play came from his
desire to send the seniors out with a win.
“I just wanted to go out and play as hard as
I’vc ever played,” he said. “Our seniors worked
so hard for what they are today.”
Reid, who fouled out with 2:28 remaining,
saw that hard work rewarded with a standing
ovation.
“It was a nice gesture by the fans as I came
See DEFENSE on 8
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Shaun Sartin/Daily Nebraskan
Clifford Scales of Nebraska drives past Terry Brown of Kansas in the second
half of Sunday’s game. Scales, playing in his final home game for the
Cornhuskers, scored nine of Nebraska’s first 11 points in the second half.
Big Eight leaders stumble
in regular-seas on finales I
By The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — At the
end, both failed. No. 12 Oklahoma
State failed at Iowa Slate on Saturday
and then No. 10 Kansas turned around
and failed Sunday at No. 15 Nebraska.
Therefore, split the Big Eight regu
lar season title right down the middle.
Give half to the Cowboys, half to the
Jayhawks. Both finished with 21-6
overall and 10-4 conference records
and were unbeaten all year at home,
but both failed in the clutch on their
final road game.
Oklahoma Slate’s hopes for the
title in Eddie Sutton’s first year as
coach evaporated Saturday when Skip
McCoy scored five straight points in
the final 2:30 as Iowa State edged the
Cowboys 68-67.
But the Jayhawks, knowing a vic
tory Sunday at Nebraska meant an
outright title, missed eight straight
free throws in the final decisive
moments of their loss to the Com
huskers.
Since Oklahoma State beat Ne
braska twice, and Kansas beat the
Huskers only once, the Cowboys are
the No. 1 seed in the Big Eight Tour- |
nament. The tournament begins Fri
day in Kansas City and ends Sunday
with the champion getting the Big
Eight’s automatic bid to the NCAA
tourney.
Friday’s first-round games in the
Big Eight Tournament are fourth
seeded Missouri (16-10, 8-4) against
fifth-seeded Iowa State (12-18, 6-8)
at 12:10 p.m.; No. 1 seed Oklahoma
Slate (21-6,104) vs. No. 8 seed Kansas
State (13-14, 3-11) at 2:20 p.m.; No.
2 seed Kansas (21-6,104) vs. No. 7
Colorado (15-12,5-9), and No. 3 seed
Nebraska (24-6, 9-5) vs. No. 6 seed
Oklahoma (16-13, 5-9).
In Saturday’s other Big Eight ac
tion, Kansas State erased a 10-point
deficit to take Oklahoma into over
time, then beat the Sooncrs on their
own home court 101-98; and Mis
souri scorched ('dorado 76-51 at home
as the Buffaloes shot an appalling 26
percent from the field.
Kansas Stale completed a season
sweep of the Sooners with a comc
from-behind effort over an Oklahoma
team that will probably be happy to
end this nightmare of a year.
NU swimmers, divers
reflect last year’s show
By Benji Greenberg
Staff Reporter
Two in a row.
The Nebraska women’s swimming
and diving learn repeated as Big Eight
champion this weekend. The Com
huskers had 671.5 points, ahead of
Kansas (646), Iowa State (359) and
Missouri (225.5). Nebraska has won
five of the last seven conference
championships.
The Huskcrs won by winning five
of the seven events on Saturday. The
narrow margin drew a sigh from Coach
Ray Huppen.
“The meet was the closest in 16
years that I ve seen or been involved
in," Hupper! said. “The outcome wasn’t
determined until the last relay was
completed, so Kansas never gave up
and they showed a lot of class.
“We swam exceptionally well and
we’re just thrilled we were able to
hold off an excellent Kansas team.”
And chalk up two in a row for
sophomore Michelle Butcher.
Butcher won the meet’s most valu
able performer award for the second
straight year after being the only triple
winner in the meet. She won the 500
freestyle, 400 individual medley and
See SWIMMERS on 8
Season ends for Husker women
By Chris Hopfensperger
Sentry Reporter
SAUNA, Kan. — Kansas
stepped up and Nebraska stepped
out of the women’s Big Eight bas
ketball tournament Saturday night.
Kansas ended the Comhuskers’
season, knocking off Nebraska 58
53 in the first round. It was the third
year in a row the Huskcrs have
been eliminated in the first round.
“(The Jayhawks) stepped up,”
Nebraska women’s coach Angela
Beck said. “We didn’t step up and
you’ve got to step up in a thing like
this.”
Beck said the Jayhawks’ most
important steps were toward the
free throw line.
After hitting three of their 13
first-half free-throw attempts, the
Jayhawks sparked their comeback
by hitting 15 of 19 in the second
half.
“I think the game was won at
the free-throw line,” Beck said.
“We didn’t get there and they did.
“You ffive them that manv free
bics and you end up having a bit of
trouble.”
The Huskers were also troubled
by a Kansas defense that double
and triple-teamed sophomore Karen
Jennings.
Despite the defenders, Jennings
grabbed a game-high 27 points and
13 rebounds, but she was the only
Nebraska player to reach double
figures in cither category.
“We were too one-dimensional,”
Beck said. “We didn’t get any
consistent outside shooting tonight.
We did not get any dribble penetra
tion from our guards."
Nebraska jumped out loan 11-2
lead, prompted by freshman Meg
gan Ycdscna’s game-opening three
pointer from the right side. Kansas
battled back to tic it at 19 with 5:40
remaining in the first half, and the
Huskers took a 23-21 lead to the
locker room.
Kansas leading scorer Misti
Chcnnault, who had two first-half
points, scored 13 in the second half
to lead the Jayhawks back.
Four straight Jayhawk free throws
put Kansas up by five with 1:27
left. A Yedsena jumper cut the lead
to three, but Chennault’s basket
with 0:45 remaining kept the Jay
hawks in front.
Jennings hit a jumper from the
lane, cutting the lead again. But an
intentional foul called on Ann ,
Halsne gave the Jayhawks two free j
throws and the ball.
“We just didn’t convert on the
real crucial plays late in the stretch,’’
Beck said. “We got a little frus
trated that we couldn’t put them
See HUSKER on 8
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Robin Trimarchi/Daiiy Nebraskan
Nebraska’s Meggan Yedsena goes up for the shot over
Kansas’ Kay Kay Hart (33) and Stacy Truitt. Yedsena
had seven points Saturday.