NU, ISU hope to calm whirlwind seasons
Cyclones playing
well despite injury,
Coach Nee says
By Derek Samson
Senior Reporter
After beating Kansas State 76-68
Wednesday to break its four-game
losing streak, Nebraska can finally
worry about one thing—its opponent
— when it plays host to Iowa State
Saturday.
Despite getting the monkey off its
back with its win
at Kansas State,
Coach Danny Nee
said his team
wasn’t the same
one that beat Iowa
State 78-72 in
Ames, Iowa on
Jan. 3.
“The teams that
M are running here
on Saturday are
totally different than when we played
in early January,” he said.
Although both teams have strug
gled since the first meeting, Nee said
the injury to Cyclone Loren Meyer
had transformed Iowa State’s appear
ance on the floor.
“They have become more mobile,
more athletic, quicker and a com
pletely different looking team defen
sively,” Nee said. “They’ve changed
their style of play. They’ve changed
defenses and how they’re playing now.
They play multiple defenses. It’s not
like the same team.”
Even though the Cyclones’ play
has improved, their record has not.
Iowa State is in the Big Eight cellar at
1-6 and 11-8 overall.
Nee said Iowa State’s record was
no reason to take the team lightly.
“I feel since the last time we played
them that they’ve made an adjustment
with the loss of a player,” he said. “1
think now they are playing a lot better.
They are playing really good defense.
“I think they’re going to win some
basketball games. There is no doubt in
my mind that they are still very capa
ble of beating some teams.”
Nebraska returns home Saturday
with a chance to even its conference
record at 4-4 and improve to 14-6
overall. Nebraska has not won at home
since Jan. 15.
Nee said the Huskcrs and Cyclones
shared common woes with their home
losses.
“I think they’re similar to us,” he
said. “Teams start piling up on you,
and you lose a couple at home like we
did and they did. Man, then that road
is not good to you.”
I
1_L
Kiley Timperiey/DN
Nebraska guard Erick Strickland (left) and forward Terrance Badgett will try to apply the
pressure to Iowa State Saturday when the Cyclones come to Lincoln for a 1:05 p.m. game.
Earlier this week, the Huskers snapped a four game losing streak to improve to 4-4 in the
Big Eight and 14-6 overall. Iowa State is currently in last place in the conference.
Center’s absence
is ‘devastating,’
Johnny Orr says
By Derek Samson
Senior Reporter
After Iowa State center Loren Meyer
broke his collarbone, Cyclone coach
Johnny Orr knew the road to success
might be a long one for Iowa State.
urr s assump
tion was correct as
the Cyclones have
lost six of their last
eight games to
drop to 11-8 and
in last place of the
Big Eight at 1-6.
Meyer, a 6-foot
11, 222-pound
junior, broke his
Off collarbone after
the truck he was riding in was hit by a
train.
“It has been devastating to us,” On
said. “Mentally, it has been devastat
ing as well. That’s 23 points and 10
rebounds a game that is just gone.
“It’s not bad when you never start
the season with it, but when you go
through part of your season with those
kind of numbers from someone and
just have that taken away is tough on
a team. I’ve never run into anything
like this since I’ve been coaching.”
Orr brings his team to Lincoln
Saturday in hopes of avenging the 78
72 loss to the Huskers in Ames, Iowa,
Jan. 3. Tip-off is set for 1:05 p.m. at
the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
“We’re just trying to get some
wins,” Orr said. “Since we lost Loren,
we’re really struggling. When we play
Nebraska, it’s a big rivalry. I think
that’s all there is to it. It doesn’t matter
what has happened in the past. This is
a big rivalry and we need wins.”
Orr said he realizes Iowa State has
a slim chance at the NCAAs.
“We’re fighting for everything we
can get,” he said. “About our only
chance to get into the NCAA tourna
ment is to win the Big Eight tourna
ment. Other than that, we would have
to win the rest of our games and I
really can’t see that happening.”
Orr said starting the second half of
the Big Eight schedule at Nebraska
isn’t going to be easy.
“Nebraska has always been a tough
game,” he said. “They have a lot of
guys they can send at you. (Terrance)
Badgett is playing good and (Bruce)
Chubick has had a couple of good
games lately. (Eric) Pialkowski is still
the big thing for us to stop. The thing
with Nebraska is they have seven or
eight guys that really come at you.”
Women’s coach says
now is time for wins
By Derek Samson
Senior Reporter
After losing 81 -75 at home to Okla
homa State Sunday, the tightrope that
the Nebraska women’sbasketball team
has been walking became even thin
ner.
The loss dropped the Comhuskers
to 13-10 overall, but more important
ly, to 4-5 and fifth place in the confer
ence.
Coach Angela Beck said now was
not the time to worry, but it was cer
tainly the time for wins.
“I don’t feel our season is fin
ished,” she said. “I still feel like real
istically we could finish in the top half
of the Big Eight and maybe even third.
“Obviously, the loss to Oklahoma
State was a big one, but we need to
bounce back. I really feel if we can end
up in the top half of our league that we
can end up in the NCAAs, but right
now that’s all speculation,” Beck said.
Nebraska could take two big steps
closer to its goal of reaching the NCAA
tournament this weekend with wins
over Kansas State Friday night and
Kansas Sunday.
Unfortunately, a sweep this week
end will not be easy.
With both games on the road and
Kansas tied for the league lead with
Colorado at 7-2 and 16-3 overall, Beck
said she knew her work was cut out for
her.
“Kansas State has played very well
at home,” Beck said, “they’re going
to be a tougher foe there than what we
saw at home. With Kansas, we’re
going to have to play a very high level
of game to get a victory.”
In Nebraska’s previous meetings
with the teams in Lincoln, the Husk
ers beat Kansas State 78-58, but lost
78-57 to Kansas.
In order to stop Kansas State again,
Nebraska must stop Shawnda
DeCamp, who is averaging 21.5 points
a game.
“Coming out of the gates will be
important for us,” Beck said. “We did
Nebraska
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a great job of shutting down Shawnda
DeCamp last time. If we can limit her
attempts, I think we have a good shot
at Kansas State.
“They have been beat there, and I
know we can beat them there, but it’s
not going to be easy.”
Nebraska will face a tougher task
Sunday against Kansas. The 1 Oth
ranked Jayhawks are tied with Colo
rado for the top spot in the Big Eight.
Wrestlers stay sharp
despite three absences
By Tim Pearson
Senior Reporter
Nebraska wrestling captains Frank
Velazquez and Chad Nelson have been
injured.
Junior Mike
Eierman, one of
two returning All
Americans along
with Velazquez,
hasn’t been in the
starting lineup.
But the
Cornhuskers are
mho*_klh sun in conienuon
Neumann for the Big Eight
title, Coach Tim
Neumann said.
“We’ve gone the last three or four
days without two All-Americans and
either one of our captains, but we’re
still wrestling all right,” he said. “Be
fore the season, 1 said our three best
wrestlers were Frankie, Mike, and
Chad.”
The Huskers would be wrestling
better with them in the lineup, though,
Neumann said.
Velazquez, ranked No. 3 at 134
pounds with a 19-2 record, is expected
to return to action Saturday when the
Huskers face Wyoming in an 8:30
p.m. dual in Laramie, Wyo.
But Nelson is out for the season
after undergoing surgery Tuesday for
a tom anterior cruciate ligament.
Eierman lost his spot at 142 pounds
to redshirt freshman Justin Ware.
Ware, 23-5 at 142 pounds, moved
into the rankings at No. 9. Neumann
said he was happy the redshirt fresh
man was finally ranked.
“It’s a good starting place for him,”
he said. “P m proud of Justin for turn
ing himself around this semester."
Three Huskers besides Ware and
Velazquez are ranked. Senior Scott
Gonyo is No. 7 at 118 pounds with a
26-7 record. Junior Steve Baer is 11 th
at 126 pounds, and heavyweight Tolly
Thompson is No. 9.
Neumann said others had had to
step up because of the injuries.
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