"Sports
Freshmen-led Huskers win in overtime
By Jeff Singer
Senior Reporter
Just when it looked like the season
was lost for the Nebraska men’s bas
ketball team, a group of Comhusker
freshmen grew up in a hurry.
Led by freshman guard Erick
Strickland, the Huskers raced to an
88-87 overtime victory over Missouri
on Saturday at the Bob Dcvaney Sports
Center.
Strickland seta new Nebraska fresh
men record by scoring 28 points off
the bench, and helped the Huskers
improve their Big Eight record to 2-3
in front of 14,404 fans.
Aftcrcomfortably Icadingthc game
with a 51-33 margin with just more
than 15 minutes left in the game, the
Tigers mounted a furious comeback
that almost spelled doom for Ne
braska.
Missouri outscorcd the Huskers29
7 in a little more than six minutes of
play to take a 62-58 lead with just8:47
remaining in the game. The Tigers
were led primarily by guard Melvin
B(x>kcr, who had a team-high 27 points
in the game.
Enter Strickland.
The Bellevue native hit five of six
three-pointers in the game, including
a pair of threes in the final minutes of
regulation to keep the score close.
In the extra frame, Nebraska again
squandered a big lead. The Huskers
were ahead 85-78 with just 1:02 to
play. But a pair of Tiger three-point
ers and erratic free-throw shooting by
Nebraska eventually let Missouri lie
the game with just 13 seconds left in
overtime.
A foul by the Tigers’ Chris Heller
put Strickland on the line, and he
made one of his free throws to give the
Huskers a one-point lead.
Missouri had a last chance to win,
but Strickland knocked the ball away
from a pair of Tigers underneath the
basket, and a thrce-pointct^J)^
Missouri’s Mark Atkins bounced off
the rim and kept Nebraska’s faint Big
Eight championship hopes alive.
The Tigers’ record dropped to 3-1
in league play and 13-5 overall.
Strickland said the game was solid
for all the freshmen, including Jaron
Boone, Andre Woolridge and
Terrance Badgett.
“I think this is a great momentum
builder for the freshmen, because play
ing in tough games are always good
for you, especially if you can win,”
Strickland said.
Junior Husker forward Eric
Piatkowski, who had 18 points in the
effort, said he was proud not only of
- Slrickland’seffort^butofall the fresh
men.
“At one point in the game, you
looked in there — there was myself
out there, but then there was four
freshmen out there with me,” he said.
“This is a huge game and they showed
great poise out there on the floor and
did a fantastic job.”
Nebraska center Derrick Chandler,
who had 16 points and 12 rebounds,
agreed.
“Coach recruited them highly,and
we have confidence in them,” he said.
“We don’t consider them freshmen
anymore.”
Husker coach Danny Nee said he
was happy his freshmen came through
in time to improve Nebraska’s overall
record to 14-6.
“It was a very exciting game, but
this time of year in the Big Eight, the
only thing that matters is winning,”
Nee said.
Strickland nils
expectations
with big win
By Tim Pearson
Staff Reporter
When Erick Strickland arrived in
Lincoln last fall as part of Danny
Nee’s bcst-cver recruiting class, big
things were expected of him.
Big things happened Saturday.
Just getting over the stomach flu,
Strickland exceeded those expecta
tions and led Nebraska to an 88-87
overtime victory over Missouri.
The 6-fool-3 freshman guard came
off the bench and scored 28 points, a
single-game record for a Comhusker
freshman.
“When I shot a couple limes, I
thought they were off, Strickland
said. “But when the shots are falling,
they’re falling.”
Missouri coach Norm Stewart said
Strickland, who played in the Florida
Marlins’ minor league system last
summer, is a good athlete.
“Strickland’s a good ballplayer,”
he said. “He’s a pro baseball player,
so he’s a good athlete also.”
Strickland was the man Nebraska
looked to for the big play against the
Tigers, and he didn’t disappoint.
He made all four of his shots in the
first half, including two three-point
ers.
Stewart said Strickland hurt the
Tigers in the first half w ith a couple of
big baskets.
But in the second half and in over
time, Strickland hurt the Tigers even
more, scoring 18 points in the remain
der of the game.
In the second half Strickland hit
three key three-pointers, including one
in the final two minutes of the game,
tying the game at 74.
“Eric (Pialkowski) missed acouplc
of threes, so I knew his confidence
wasn’t there,” Strickland said. “So I
just fell that it was the big time now,
getting down to crunch time, and I
wanted the ball.”
Strickland saved the game for the
Huskers on both sides of the court.
He hit the deciding free throw in
overtime and blocked Chris Heller’s
tip-in try at the overtime buzzer.
“I told myself that there’s no way
I’m getting beat on a buzzer-beater by
a tip,” Strickland said. “I just said I’m
going at him.”
Strickland is starting to be more of
a force on the offensive end during
Big Eight play.
He scored 19 against Oklahoma,
and now with 28 points against Mis
souri, Strickland gives the Huskers
another offensive threat after a slow
start offensively.
“I’m just letting time come. I’m
being patient,” he said. “It’s the same
thing that happened in high school. It
just took lime to adjust.”
Strickland has not taken long to
adjust to college basketball, but he
said he is still learning.
“The physical aspect wasn’t that
bad, but the pace is a lot more quicker,
and the mental aspect is tougher,” he
said. “There arc also a lot more better
athletes at this level."
Robin Trimarchi/DN
Erick Strickland drives past Chris Heller of Missouri. The Huskers won 88-87 in overtime during
Saturday’s game.
Despite victory over Iowa State,
Beck calls team’s execution poor
By Beau Finley
Staff Reporter
Angela Beck knew lhai intensity
would be a factor when her Cornhusker
women’s basketball team went on the
road against decidedly outmanned
Iowa State.
Nebraska fulfilled expectations and
won an 82*52 blowout against the
Cyclones Sunday, but Beck said her
team was sloppy in its execution.
“We didn’t play hard,’’ Beck said
on her postgamc radio show. “I thought
we looked like a bunch of fat, lazy
campers.”
Even a below-average performance
by the Huskers was enough to best a
Cyclone team beset by injury and
personal problems. Iowa State was
only able to suit up seven players for
Sunday’s game, one of whom was the
team’s student manager.
Beck said that Iowa State’s situa
tion was “weird” and that she didn’t
know what to expect from the handi
capped Cyclones. Nonetheless, she
said she respected Iowa State’s effort
-44
I took Jennings out and
said to her Jens, let’s
break the record at
home.'
~Beck
Nil Coach
-ft -
in the game.
‘‘I thought they were a real emo
tional team and played real hard ...
they outhustlcd us,” Beck said.
The game began with a Husker
flurry as Nebraska scored the first
seven points. But Iowa State used a
14-4 run to tie the game at 22 near the
middle of the first half.
The Huskers then turned to the
steady shooting of senior Karen
Jennings. Jennings scored 20of her 21
points in the first half and sparked the
Huskers to a 40-26 lead at intermis
sion.
Nebraska took control in the sec
ond half with a tough defensive press
and balanced scoring as they cruised
to their fifth Big Eight win in seven
tries.
Beck said the lead did allow' her to
substitute more freely and give
younger players some valuable play
ing time.
“I hope everyone thinks I was some
what generous. All 12 of our players
got into the game,” Beck said. “I think
we learned a lot today.”
The substitution limited the play
ing time of Jennings, who came out
early in the second half and only
scored one point. Entering the game,
Jennings needed 29 points to break
the all-time Nebraska scoring record
held by Maurtice Ivy.
Beck said that she thought it would
be better for Jennings to break the
record in Lincoln. The Huskers will
play host to Southwest Missouri State
on Tuesday.
”1 took Jennings out and said to her
Jens, let’s break the record at home’,”
6eck said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetimc
event and I wanted her to break it at
home.”
NU defends No. 2 rank,
gives coach 98th dual win
By Tony West
Staff Reporter
Nebraska’s wrestling team
looked like the No. 2 team in the
nation Saturday night.
The Comhuskcrs, fresh off re
ceiving newsof the h ighest ranking
in school history, promptly proved
it by stomping Wyoming 36-3 in a
dual at the Bob Devancy Sports
Center.
Nebraska All-American Corey
Olson said the match with Wyo
ming, an unranked team with a 1-3
dual record, afforded the Huskcrs a
chance to practice.
“This match wasn’t as big of a
deal since we were picked to win,”
Olson said. “It was more of a learn
ing experience and a chance to
improve on mistakes.”
Coach Tim Neumann agreed
with Olson and said he was pleased
with the improvement he saw.
“We were a lot better on the
edge,’’Neumann said. "IdonTlhink
they (Wyom i ng) scored on ihc edge
tonight.”
The Huskers started off slow,
losing the first match by decision.
But Nebraska reeled off seven
straight victories and brought the
team score to 24-3.
Wyoming forfeited the 190
pound and heavyweight matches,
giving Nebraska the 33-point win.
With the victory, Neumanp be
came the all-time winningcstcoach
in Nebraska wrestling history, win
ning his98th dual in only hiscighth
season as Husker coach.
Neumann said his team was im
pressive after last weekend’s Na
tional Dual Meet Championships,
where the Huskers placed second
to No. 1 Penn State.
“We didn’t look too bad,”
Neumann said. “Intensity was good
and I was really impressed. We
were sharp after coming off last
weekend.”