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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1993)
Nebraskan SPORTS Friday, Fabruary 12, IMS ^ -** ***. ■\ '. . ■ < \ . ■ ' Coach says Huskers won’t look pastKSU By Derek Samson Staff Reporter Although Kansas State hasn't earned a win in the Big Eight this year, the Wildcats have earned the respect of Nebraska women’s basketball coach Angela Beck. The Wildcats, at 0-9 in the Big Eight and 8-12 overall, aren’t being overlooked by Beck entering tonight’s 7 p.m. game at the Bob Dcvaney Sports Center. And Beck insists her team isn’t looking ahead toSunday’s showdown with Kansas, a team which beat the Comhuskers last year in Lincoln. “I really haven’t taken a good look at Kansas yet, because we’re concen trating on K-State,” Beck said. “They have to be the best team that hasn’t won a game in the Big Eight ever. “They’re going to get someone sometime,” Beck said. “I just want to make sure it’s not us.” Beck said the key to the game for her team was for the Huskers come out strong right from the lip. “If wecould build a big lead I think we could sustain it,” Beck said. “We have a lot of respect for Kansas Slate. They have always played us tough.” Nebraska is in third place in the B ig Eight with a 6-3 record, two games behind league leaders Colorado an< Oklahoma State. Kansas, the Huskcrs’ opponent Sunday, is tied for fourth in the Big Eight at 5-4. The Jayhawks won the earlier meeting in Lawrence 69-62 and have a three-game winning streak against the Huskers. “We’re just looking for a victory,” Beck said. “They are someone we like to play and we’ve been playing pretty well, so I think it should be a real good game.’’ A sweep of Kansas and Kansas State this weekend should keep Ne See KANSAS STATE on 8 Kassas Stata at Nebraska 7 p.a. Friday Bob Dovaaoy Sporta Coitor 1 Kansas Slate (8-12) ppG RpG F Shaneie Stires 13.6 9.1 F Leah Honeycutt 12.2 6.5 F JoMoree Grattan 3.5 2.0 G Kelly Moyian 10.8 2.5 G Andrea O’Neal 7.5 1.4 Nebraska (16-5) DD^ DD, ~F—RtesaTfcykS'— 8 7 4 9 F Nafeesah Brown 12.7 6.0, G Karen Jennings 21.5 8.0 G Meggan Yedsena 8.5 3.3 G Sara Offringa 10.9 3.7 Dual meet to benefit postseason performance By Tim Walnofer Staff Reporter The Nebraska men’sand women’s swimming learns will be gearing up for the Big EightChampionships with their final regular season matchup against Southern Illinois. The dual will be Saturday at l p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Nebraska’s men, coming off a win against Kansas and ranked 17th na tionally, will have a chance to im prove against Southern Illinois, Comhusker coach Cal Bentz said. “Southern Illinois is a little short handed on the men’s side,” Bentz said. “But at this point, we are focus ing oo the placement of people for the conference championships.” The Big EightChampionships will be March 4-6 in Norman, Okla. Last weekend, the men got season high performances from Allan Kelsey in the 50- and 100-meter frccstyles. Kelsey set a Big Eight season-best mark in the 50 with a time of 20.57 seconds. Although the women lost last week end 143-100 to the eighth-ranked Jay hawks, Bentz said he still was happy with the team’s performance. The Nebraska women, ranked No. 24, got a strong return last week from Michelle Butcher, who had been out of action since the beginning of the season because of kidney failure. Butcher turned in second- and third place performances in the 500- and 1,000-mctcr frccstyles. Bentz said this weekend would also help him decide on his roster for the conference championships. “This week, we’ll begin to make those decisions,” Bentz said. “With the remaining three weeks, we will begin to taper and docidc who will swim in what events.” L Robin Trimarchi/DN Nebraska center Derrick Chandler shoots in a game against Kansas. The 15-7 Comhuskers will face Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan., on Saturday. » I I I I I II -ir-T'-l nnTTTnr- TT&r « ' l Nebraska looking for vengeance against KSU By Jeff Singer Senior Reporter_ _ Winning on the road in the Big Eight is tough. It’s even tougher if the team you’re playing has already beat you on your home court. But that ’ s what thq Nebraska men ’ s basketball team has to overcome when it plays at Kansas State on Saturday. The Comhuskers, who lost to the No. 23 Wildcats three weeks ago at the Bob Dcvancy Sports Center, will try to avenge the loss at 3:10 p.m. in Manhattan, Kan. The game will be televised live by Raycom. ■ * _ But Kansas state has been one of the Big Eight’s biggest surprises so far this season. The Wildcats, who were picked to finish seventh in a conference media poll, arc off to a 5 2 start in conference play and arc 15 4 overall. Nebraska coach Danny Nee said he was impressed with what he had seen this year from Kansas State. “All of them arc playing extremely well and with a lot of confidence,” Nee said. “I think (Anthony) Beane, their quarterback, has really given them an identity that’s special.” Beane’s identity so far this season in the Big Eight has been as a game winner for the Wildcats. Last week he made a pair of free throws to beat Oklahoma with no time left, and he capped that effort with a game-winning jumper to beat Iowa State 68-66 in overtime Wednesday. The junior guard is averaging 9.7 points per game to accompany his team-high 92 assists. See WILDCATS on 8 Sevigne Invite to draw more than 60 teams University can shine as host, Pepin says By Chris Hain Staff Reporter This weekend's Frank Sevigne Husker Invi tational is an important track meet not only for the Comhusker team, but for the entire Univer sity of Nebraska, Coach Gary Pepin said. “It’s kind of a showcase for the university,” Pepin said. “We have more universities coming to this track meet than any other sporting event that the university has.” The meet will begin at the Bob Devaney Sports Center at 5 p.m. on Friday and will continue with two sessions on Saturday at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. More than 60 teams will be attending the meet and will bring with them what Pepin said were some of the finest athletes in the world. “It’s a very, very fine meet for the athletes,’ Pepin said. “They gel lo compete on a great facility, and there’s some other real good com petition from not only the area, but throughout the United States.” Pepin said that because this was one of the last indoor meets of the year, it should provide some great performances. “This is about the lime of the year when we ought to start seeing some real good competi ' tiveeffortsand improvements in performances,” Pepin said. Pepin said he hoped to see improvement from h is team, no matter how that i mprovement occurred. “There’s a lot of ways to have improve ment,” Pepin said. “You look to have good performances, consistency and strong efforts. “Even if a person got beat maybe they gave a great competitive effort,” he said. Pepin said he also was concerned with put ting on a good show. “We look at this meet from another stand point,” Pepin said. “Was there good crowd attendance? Did the crowd get into the meet? _1_ _ “And we’re always trying to improve the meet itself,” he said. Husker shot putter makes mark on team By Tony West Staff Reporter Paulette Mitchell is living up to expectations and making her mark in her First season as a shot putter for the Nebraska track team. Mitchell, a freshman from Council Bluffs, Iowa, erased a five-year Nebraska record in the shot mil with a throw of 52-3 3/4 at the Illinois Quadrangular earlier this season. This weekend, she'll try to belter that mark at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. “She'll put us on the map in the weights area," said Nebraska coach Gary Pepin. Mitchell may be the future of Nebraska women's track now, but in high school, it was hard to even get her on the track team. “I didn't want to even go out (for track) at first," Mitchell said. “But, the coaches kept talking to me and telling me that I should give it a chance."- — ——1 In high school, she was the top prep shot putter in the nation, recording a throw of S3-3 3/4, a mark whjph is the second-best ever hy a United States high schooler. Nebraska recruited Mitchell heavily, and she said she saw a track scholarship as a chance to accomplish what she most desires — a college degree. “I thought that this could be a good way to get to college,” Mitchell said. r‘I probably wouldn’thavc been able togoif it wasn’tfor the scholarship.” With her newfound success, Mitchell said she’s making sure her ego doesn’t get too large.' “I am strong in morals,” Mitchell said. “I have told my mends that if my head gets too big, though, to knock me down and tell me.” Pepin said he had high expectations from his freshman thrower. “She has the chance to be a high placer and big scorer for us,” Pepin said. “She is only going to get belter and better.” Mitchell said she was happy with how well she had sone this early in her career. “I’m going to do well,” Mitchell said. “I am comfortable with how things arc going and the coaches have said that things are coming along good.”