Daily,
Nebraskan
Monday, February 22,1993
Sports
Conf.
Scott Maurer/DN
Nebraska steals last-minute victory
By Jeff Singer
Senior Reporter
After Sunday’s performance
against Missouri, the Nebraska men’s
basketball team mightconsiderchang
ing its nickname to the cardiac kids.
For the third time in the Big Eight
season, the Comhuskers won a game
in the final minute, this time by de
feating the Tigers 76-75 at Columbia,
Mo.
In front of a sold-out Heames Cen
ter crowd of 13,349 fans, Nebraska
beat Missouri in dramatic fashion just
as it did last month in a 88-87 over
time victory in Lincoln.
Missouri ’ s Lamont Frazier tried to
^ makejn inbounds pass with five sec
onds left and the score tied at 75, but
Nebraska guard Jamar Johnson stole
the pass and raced to the Husker bas
ket before being fouled by the Tigers’
Melvin Booker.
Johnson hit the first of his two free
throws to give Nebraska the lead, and
- it
Beating Missouri, winning in their home house,
sweeping them for the series this year is monu
mental.
f
—Nee
Nil basketball Mach
a half-court shot by Lamont Frazier
was short, enabling the Huskers to
even their Big Eight record at 5-5.
The Nebraska win not only im
proved the Huskers’ overall record to
17-8, but it also broke Nebraska’s six
game losing streak in Columbia and
gave Husker coach Danny Nee his
First career win at the Heames Center.
Nee said it was a big win for the
Huskers after they lost to Oklahoma
State last Monday at the Bob Devaney
Sports Center.
“At this time of the year, I can ’ t tell
you how important this type of game
(is),’’ Nee said on his postgame radio
show. “Winning on the road, beating
Missouri, winning in their home
house, sweeping them for the series
this year is monumental.”
At the onset of the gamesit looked
like Nebraska was going to extend its
losing streak. The Huskers fell behind
early, as a three-pointer by Tiger guard
Jed Frost put Missouri up by 11 points
in the first half.
Nebraska was able to reduce the
deficit to40-37 by halftime, keyed by
a steal and dunk by Husker guard Eric
Piatkowski as the first half expired.
Piatkowski’s slam seemed to in
spire Nebraska in the second half. The
Huskers came out of the locker room
with a 18-6 run, capped by a
Piatkowski layup, that put Nebraska
up by nine points.
But the Tigers again clawed their
way ahead of the Husky's, using a
Melvin Booker layup with a little
more than two minutes left of play, to
go up 70-66.
Again Piatkowski answered, as a
three-pointer from well behind the
three-point arc cut the Nebraska defi
cit to one, and a layup by Husker
center Derrick Chandler on Nebraska’s
next possession gave the Huskers a
71-70 lead.
Nee said he was proud of how his
team was able to came back to give
Johnson the chance to win the game at
the free-throw line.
“At the end when we got behind,
we found a way to come back, and I
don’t even know how it happened,”
he said.
While the Huskers climbed into a
third-place tie in the league standings,
Missouri dropped its Big Eight record
See NEE on 8
Free throw woes
doom NU's bid
to upset Buffs
By Beau Finley
Staff Reporter
The only loss that the 23-1 Colo
rado women’s basketball team had
suffered this season came at the hands
of Nebraska.
On Sunday, the Comhuskers threat
ened to do it again before poor free
throw shooting dashed their hopes.
The No. 4 Buffaloes defeated the
No. 22 Huskers 71-63 before a record
crowd of 8,521 people at the Coors
Events Center in Boulder, Colo., and
avenged a 62-50 loss to Nebraska in
Lincoln on Jan. 22.
Despite the loss, Nebraska coach
Angela Beck said her team played
well in a hostile environment.
“This was a great basketball game,’’
Beck said. ‘To play the No. 4 team in
the nation this close on its own floor
in frcnt of 8,500 fans shows the great
character that this team is made of.”
The first half was highlighted by
streaks. Colorado took a 33-20 lead
with about five minutes to play in the
first half behind a 14-5 run.
Nebraska answered with its own
10-0 run capped by a layup by Lis
Brcnden as time ran out to end the
half, cutting the Buffaloes’ lead to 33
30 at intermission.
Nebraska challenged the Buffa
loes throughout the second half and
took the lead, 38-37, on a basket by
Karen Jennings. Jennings finished
with a game-high 23 points and eight
rebounds.
However the Buffaloes went on a
9-0 rurfto give them a46-38 lead with
14:30 to play. Colorado never trailed
again.
The Huskers were able to cut the
lead to two points on four occasions,
but each was answered with a Colo
rado basket.
The Buffaloes were paced by
Shelley S heetz, who finished the game
with 20 points and six assists.
Sara Offringa and Nafeesah Brown
scored 14 and 12 respectively for
Nebraska.
Perhaps more than the Colorado
defense, the Huskers’ biggest oppo
nent was their free throw shooting.
Nebraska was seven for 20 from the
line in the second half, shooting only
48 percent for the game.
Beck said she understood the inef
fectiveness from the free-throw line.
“We thought about (the free throws)
See HOOPS on 8
Recruit should be a hit
next year; coach says
By Susie Aith
Comhusker volleyball coach Terry
Peuit said the most recent athlete to
sign a letter of intent to play at Ne
braska had as much talent as anyone.
Jennifer McFadden, a middle
blocker from Dubuque, Iowa, has
joined Kate Cmich of River Forest,
111. on the listof athletes who will play
volleyball at Nebraska next season.
Pettit said he couldn’t be happier
with McFadden’s decision.
“(McFadden) is 6-2, she plays high
above the net, and she’s an excep
tional blocker and attacker,” he said.
McFadden helped lead Dubuque
Wahlert High School to a 45-1 record
last season and the No. 3 national
ranking by Volleyball Monthly maga
zine.
McFadden also was a High School
All-American selection by Mizuno,
Volleyball Monthly and US A Today,
and she played in the Mizuno High
School All-Star match.
Pettit said McFadden ’ s high school
experience could enable her to come
to Nebraska and make an immediate
impact.
“Every year we have at least one
freshman who comes in and makes an
impact,” Pettit said. “We think Jen
will be able to contribute and compete
for playing time.”
Peuit said McFadden’s strengths
included her physical style of play
and her versatility.
“She’s a middle blocker, but she
has the necessary skills to play any of
the front row positions,” he said.
Pettit said McFadden chose Ne
braska over Stanford, Texas and Illi
nois.
“We’re very pleased she decided
to come here,” he said. “I think of the
incoming freshmen around the coun
try, she is probably one of the most
physical players.” .
And Pettit said he was pleased with
the recruiting class.
“I feel really good about it,” he
said. “We got good students and good
athletes.”
Mtehelle Paufenan/DN
Nebraska’s Andy Davis returns a shot against Creighton’s Alfred Magar in a dual Saturday.
Singles play topples Creighton
By B«au Finley
Staff Reporter
Although Nebraska men's ten
nis coach Kerry McDermott was
disappointed with the play of his
team this weekend, the blow was
softened by two Comhusker victo
ries.
The Cornhuskers defeated
intrastate rival Creighton 6-1 at the
Bob Devaney Sports Center on Sat
urday morning. One day earlier,
Nebraska topped Indiana State 6-1
in the first match of the spring
season for the Huskers.
Despite the victories,
McDermott was critical of his
team's play.
"It was an uninspired weekend
and we played flat,’’ McDermott
said. "They need to motivate them
selves against lesser opponents."
Nebraska dominated the com
petition, allowing Creighton only
two sets and Indiana State just
three. However, four of those five
sets were dropped by Matthias
Mueller, the Huskers’ No. 1 singles
player.
Mueller lost both singles
matches he played in—three sets
each. Mueller's two losses were
the only ones suffered by Nebraska.
McDermott did praise the focus
and play of his younger players —
sophomore Mike Garcia, sopho
more Andy Davis and freshman
Jan Andersen. The trio compiled a
10-0 during the two events.
.Nonetheless, McDermott said
individual members of the team
need to motivate themselves.
“I shouldn't have to give an
emotional pep talk for these
matches,” McDermott said. “We
need to save them for when we
really need them.”
That time may be soon for the
Huskers, as they will host Wichita
State March 6 in Lincoln.
McDermott said the Shockers re
turn every player from last year’s
team and have added a strong fresh
man.
McDermott said that this week
end can be a learning experience
for the Huskers.
“I really think the guys think
we’re a lot better than we are,"
McDermott said. “Hopefully the
guys know now to be mature when
ever they play. Maybe (this week
end) will help us play better in the
long run.”