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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 1992)
i i i Husker women shooting for tournament title By Tony West Staff Reporter__ Despite some minor defensive problems, Nebraska women’s basket ball coach Angela Beck said she was pleased with her team ’sopening-night win over Arizona State on Tuesday. And that performance has Beck looking toward this weekend’s Roger White Invitational in Evanston, III. Nebraska will open the tourna ment Friday w i th a 6 p. m. game agai nst South Carolina. Host Northwestern and Yale will play in the other semi final, with the winners mcciing4 p.m. Saturday. The Cornhuskers committed 29 turnovers in the 86-79 win over the Sun Devils, but were able to perform well offensively, with five players scoring in double figures. Beck said the offensive display was a positive for her team. “We had a good nucleus,” Beck said. “A lot of people contributed and we didn’t take a lot of bad shots.” Nebraska’s success included a 38 percent shooting performance from three-point range, an impressive sta tistic considering the Huskcrs were last in the Big Eight in that category last season. “I am real pleased with the shots we look and the percentage of made shots,” Beck said. This weekend, Beck said the Husk ers may have to work on the defensive end to win the tournament. “Wc have to improve on the little things, like take care of the basketball belter and limit the other team to only one shot each time down the court,” Beck said. “Wc arc heading into a tough tour nament with some very athletic com petition.” South Carolina, according to Beck, is a “run and gun” team that relies on an up-tempo game and three-point shooting. The Gamecocks also have height, including 6-fool-4 center Marsha Williams. Beck said the Huskers planned to run with South Carolina in the game, which will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools. “I think the up-tempo game might be in our favor,” Beck said. “We are really in good shape at this point in the season.” Beck said last year’s tournament experience (Nebraska won the CablcVision Classic and Illini Invita tional and participated in the National Women’s Invitational Tournament) would help her team in tournaments this year. “Wc have always been tourney tough and I feel wc will give them (South Carolina) a good ride,” Beck said Nonetheless, Beck said her team wouldn’t take anything for granted heading into this weekend. “I have a team of fighters,” Beck said. “They arc determined and have goals to accomplish. The key to success in the tourna ment may come from the post play and a better defensive effort, Beck said. “This tournament is an opportu nity and wc just need to take advan tage of the opportun ily,” Beck said. _ Michelle Paulman/DN Nebraska’s Jamar Johnson goes for a loose ball in Nebraska’s opening exhibition against the Cuban Nationals. The Cornhuskers will open their season tonignt with a 6:30 p.m. game against Colgate. Swim teams hosting own invitational From Staff Reports The Nebraska men’sand women’s swimming and diving learns will go four different directions this week end. The divers will send three women and three men to the USC Invitational in Los Angeles, while 12 other Comhusker divers will compete in the Texas Invitational in Austin, Texas. # Another 10 members ofthc men’s team will compete in the U.S. Open in Orlando, Fla. The rest of the Nebraska team — most of them swimmers — will re main in Lincoln to host the Husker Invitational at the Bob Dcvancy Sports Center. Other teams competing at the meet include Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Metro SlatcCollcgcof Denver, Drury College, Northern Colorado and The University of Ne braska at Kearney. “This meet should really challenge the swimmers that will be competing from Nebraska,” said Comhusker coach Cal Bentz. “As a team, we’re really looking forward to this week end and the competition.” The meet will begin at 4 p.m. Friday with preliminaries and finals. Saturday and Sunday, the preliminar ies will begin at 10 a.m. The finals on Saturday begin at 4 p.m. and on Sun day they will start at 2 p.m: NU set to live up to expectations By Jeff Singer Senior Reporter After receiving a lot of prcscason hype, the Nebraska men’s basketball team is hoping it can fulfill expecta tions. And the first place the Comhuskcrs would like to start is with a first-place finish in the Amcrilas Classic. Nebraska opens the tournament againstColgatc 6:30 p.m. today at the Bob Dcvancy Sports Center. The other game will pit Kent Slate against Idaho State at 8:30 p.m., with the consolation game at 1 p.m. Satur day and the campionship game fol lowing at 3 p.m. In November, the Huskers made school history when they earned a No. 25 preseason ranking in The Associ ated Press poll. It was the first lime a Huskcr basketball team earned a prc scason ranking. Nebraska has also been ranked in other prcscason polls, including Sport Magazine (11th), Basketball Weekly (13th), Street & Smith’s (16th) and Sports Illustrated (18th). Husker basketball coach Danny Nee said receiving preseason ranking was something he had strived for dur ing his tenure at Nebraska, as he en ters his seventh year at the helm of the Huskers. “I look at the expectations as a complete positive,” Nee said. “We’ve been working six years to get to this Ameritas Classic Semifinals 6:30 & 8:30 p.m. Friday Final 3 p.m. Saturday Nebraska G Jamar Johnson 6-0 G Andre Woolridge 6-1 C Derrick Chandler 6-10 F Eric Piatkowski 6-7 F Bruce Chubick 6-7 Idaho State G Erin Cowan 6-0 G Corey Bruce 6-4 C Jim Potton 6-9 F Chris Daniels 6-8 F Derrick Boles 6r6 Colgate G Tucker Neele G Hason Brown C Jason Whatley F Nate O'Niel F Darren Brown Kent State G Jeff Anderson G James Johnson C Doug Carr F Greg Holman F Rod Koch m level of gelling respect.” Nee said he thought th is was one of the best teams he had coached at Nebraska. *Tm telling you we’re good — write it down,” he said. The Huskers completed the exhi bition portion of their schedule last weekend, posting a 116-% win over Marathon Oil to conclude their pre season with a 2-0 record. But Nee said his team was excited to play in games that count in the win loss columns. ‘‘This time of the year we’re all anxious to play,” Nee said. Scott Maurer/DN Nebraska point guard Jamar John son agreed. “We’re getting to the point now when were tired of beating upon each other at practice,’’ Johnson said. “It feels good to go up against someone else and bring it all together.” Four starters return from last year’s 19-10 Husker team, including John son, forwards Eric Pialkowski and Bruce Chubick and^centcr Derrick Chandler. The fifth spot remains uncertain, as three freshmen challenge for the starling nod. Jaron Boone, Andre Woolridge and Erick Strickland arc all competing for the shooting guard position, but Nee said il really didn ’t matter who ended up starting tonight against the Red Raiders, because all three would get playing time. r‘I’vc been pleased with the fresh men in their athletic ability and in their altitude,’' Nee said. “They’re going to play and they’re going to play a lot of minutes.” As for Nebraska’s opponents, Colgate was the only team that didn’t finish under .5(X) last season, as the Red Raiders ended with a 14-14 record, the first time in 15 years they didn’t end a season with a losing mark. Idaho Slate’s Bcngals ended last year with a 9-21 record and a sixth place finish in the Big Sky Confer ence, while the Mid-American Conference’s Kent State Golden Flashes were 9-19 after the ’91-’92 campaign. Notes: • Sophomore forward Jason Glock has decided to sit out this season as a redshirt. The Wahoo native played in 20 games last year and averaged 1.3 points per game. • Nee and Colgate coach Jack Brucn are both alums of New York City’s Power Memorial High School. Nee graduated from the school in 1965 while Brucn finished three years later. Kansas State Continued from Page 10 has limited its opponents to an aver age of 137 yards a game on the ground. The Husker offense is averaging 331.8 rushing yards a game, but will be without Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year Derek Brown, who sepa rated his shoulder during last week’s 33-9 win over Oklahoma. That leaves the rushing duties to Jones, Nebraska’s leading rusher with 1,024 yards. Jones said not having to share lime with Brown would be an adjustment. “I’m not used to playing four full quarters but I think I’ve conditioned myself well enough throughout the year that I will be able to step up and hopefully do a great job,” Jones said. Kansas State’s offense however, has not been as potent this season. The Wildcats average 237 yards per game and have scored more than 20 points in only three games. Part of that low output, Osborne said, was poor quarterback protec tion. “They struggled particularly early in the year offensively,” Osborne said. “They were sacked a lot. They just didn’t protect the passer.” Nonetheless, Jones said there would be no looking past the Wildcats. “This is going to be for the Big Eight championship," he said. “We would hale to have Colorado go down to the Orange Bowl. “Kansas State, they’re a very good football team and anything can hap pen.”