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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 1994)
Nebraskan Tuesday, February 22,1994 Sports Big 8 courts 4 SWC schools DALLAS (AP) — Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor have been invited to join the Big Bight beginning with the 1996 97 season, the Houston Chronicle and The Dallas Morning News reported in their Tues day editions. The Chronicle quoted three Southwest Conference school president, and the Morn ing News cited sources in both leagues. Neither story indicated that the schools have accepted the offer. See INVITATION on 8 NU entering a ‘critical week’ by Jeff Griescn Senior Editor If the rest of the Nebraska men’s basketball season was like a single game, the Comhuskers would be trailing by four points with the ball and less than a minute to go. In other words, it’s crunch time. “This week is critical for Nebraska,” Nebras ka basketball coach Danny Nee said at his weekly press conference. “I think it is going to affect any postseason tournament hopes we have —NCAA or NIT. “We have to win a couple of games. Our back is to the wall. I don’t think we have many more alternatives left.” Nebraska, 14-8 overall and 4-6 in the Big Eight, has lost six of its last eight games. If the Huskers are going to save their season. Nee said, they will have to start with defense. During Nebraska’s 11 game winning streak earlier in the season, defense was the key. The Huskers held their opponents to less than 71 points per game during the stretch. But in the last eight games, opponents have vic Nee timized the Huskers, lighting up the scoreboard with an average of 92 points per game. “We’re not doing a good job of stopping penetration or in transition defense,” Nee said. “And we’re not doing a good job of fighting through screens. “But we’re not doing anything different than what we were doing when we were winning; it’s just that teams are exploiting our weaknesses.” The Huskers have only four regular-season games remaining, and three of those games are against Top 25 teams. But the good news for the Huskers is that their next three games will be at home. “With three out of four at home, we have to See CRUNCH TIME on 8 Women s basketball seniors hope for second NCAA bid Final home game loss proves disappointing By Derek Samson Senior Reporter _ When the Nebraska women’s basketball team lost 63-61 to third-ranked Colorado Sunday, Meggan Yedsena and Nafeesah Brown hung their heads as they walked off the court. For the two Comhusker seniors, losing on a missed last-second shot was a disappointing way to end their final home game. But the way the two seniors played during the second-half comeback typified their careers at Nebraska. “It (a win over Colorado) would’ve put an icing on the cake, no doubt,’’ Yedsena said. Yedsena contributed 17 points and five as sists, while Brown finished her home career with a 13-point, 10-rebound performance, add ing to the impressive numbers already put up by the two. Yedsena, a four-year starter for Coach Ange la Beck, has her name engraved all over Nebras ka women’s basketball record books. The 5-foot-8-inch guard from Mahanoy City, Penn., is Nebraska’s career leader in assists with 681 and steals with 291. She’s third in three-point goals with 63,11th in scoring with 1,078 points and 20th in rebounding with 386. “I really didn’t know what to expect coming in here,” Yedsena said. “I just wanted to go to a program that was in the process of rebuilding. Coach Beck and 1 talked the day 1 signed about wanting to get to the NCAA tournament. Mak ing that last year is probably what I take the most pride in.” Brown has also put up impressive numbers in only two full seasons as a Husker. After transferring from Westark (Ark.) Jun ior College, Brown suffered a season-ending knee injury just six games into her sophomore season. Brown, a 6-foot-1-inch forward, is ninth on -41 Coach (Angela) Beck and I talked the day I signed about wanting to get to the NCAA tournament. Making that last year is probably what I take the most pride in. — Yedsena NU women's basketball guard - . Nebraska’s all-time rebounding charts with 549 and 14th in scoring with 1,033. Brown said a second trip to the NCAA tournament would top off her career at Nebras ka. “That’s why we wanted to win this (Colo rado) game,’’ she said. “We needed to get one step closer to the NCAAs, and this would’ve done it. We just want to make it two straight years.” Yedsena saved her best basketball for last, scoring in double figures in six of her last eight games. “I think what I’m doing more is looking to create more opportunities,” she said. “I’ve been penetrating a lot more lately and going a lot stronger to the hole. I think coming down the stretch, we’re playing pretty good.” Brown said Nebraska would be tough to stop in the Big Eight Tournament March 5-7 in Salina, Kan. “We’re playing a lot better as a team now,” she said. “On a neutral court... I think we can beat anyone. We have to get more into the flow of what we’re doing. We just have to be more patient, especially against the good teams.” As much as Husker fans will miss the two players, Brown said it was hard to say goodbye to the fans after Nebraska’s final home game. Yedsena agreed. “I’m going to miss all the great fans we have here, and 1*11 miss the unity the coaches and players have,” she said. KHey Timperley/DN Nebraska’s Meggan Yedsena dribbles up court against Colorado’s Shelley Sheetz during tne Comhuskers’ 63-61 loss Sunday. Yedsena and teammate Nafeesah Brown, both seniors, were playing in their final home game. A win over Colorado “would’ve put an icing on the cake, no doubt,” Yedsena said. Loss of Brohawn could derail Huskers ’ entire season Oh what a difference a few days can make. Last week, the optimism surround ing the Nebraska baseball team could barely be contained by the fences at Buck Beltzer Field. But it didn’t take long for the bright outlooks to tumble into oblivion dur ing the opening series of the season at Oral Roberts. Not only did the Huskers stub their toes in losing three straight games against the Eagles in Tulsa, Okla., but the mightiest Husker tripped, fell and couldn’t get up. Tray Brohawn, Nebraska’s unbeat able, unstoppable and invincible All American pitcher broke his foot in the third inning of the opener on Friday. Brohawn wasn’t hit by a hard line drive back up the box. He didn’t foul a pitch off his foot. He didn’t even break it sliding into second base. No, Brohawn broke a bone in his left foot because he tripped in some soft, clumpy dirt in the baseline be tween second and third base. As Brohawn was running out a fly ball, the ground just jumped up and grabbed him. If he had been walking to class and tripped over a crack in the sidewalk, otner students making their dull treks would have laughed at Brohawn’s misfortune. The stumble may have even been enough to keep the students awake and humored during a boring class. But Brohawn will be out for four to six weeks, making the tumble any thing but funny for the Huskers. Brohawn may be as important to the Nebraska pitching staff as Roger Clemens is to Brohawn’s favorite team, the Boston Red Sox. The junior from Woolford, Md., gave the Huskers a go-to guy on the mound. If they fell into a hitting slump or a losing streak, he lifted the Huskers by throwing a shutout. For proof, look no further than last Jeff Griesch year. Brohawn’s arm turned to rubber after an impressive run in the Pepsi/ Johnny Quick Classic tournament in mid-March. The left-hander, who went 13-0 last season, missed two pitching starts, and the Huskers went 2-6 during the eight-game stretch. He accounted for more than one third of Nebraska’s 36 wins last sea son. And Coach John Sanders said he was hoping for even better things from Brohawn this season. “1 told Troy that he had to win 16 in a row or no scholarship,” Sanders said with a laugh at the preseason press conference. But Sanders isn’t laughing any more. If his foot heals quickly, Brohawn could make it back for the March 22 game with Creighton in Lincoln. A six-week recovery would put him back in the lineup for the Big Eight home opener against Oklahoma State on April 1. But the big question for the Husk ers is whether either of those dates will be soon enough. The Huskers’ schedule isn’t filled with small area colleges anymore. Peru State, Wayne State and Doanc aren’t scheduled to come to Lincoln this year. Sanders and the Huskers put to gether one of their strongest schedule in years. Fifty-four of their 56 games are against Division I opponents. And 3 3 of those games will be played against teams inCollegiafe Baseball’s Top 40 Elite. W ithout Brohawn, the losses could pile up fast in the 22 games scheduled between now and April 1. The shock of Brohawn’s loss sent the Huskers spinning in the three game sweep this weekend. Unless Sanders can convince his players that they can win without Brohawn, the Huskers could be in serious trouble. The good news for the Huskers is that they play their next 10 games at home. Even if they can’t win without Brohawn, it could always snow. But snow won’t be able to save the Huskers when they return to Fresno, Calif., for six games at the Pepsi/ Johnny Quick Classic. If the Huskers can’t string together some wins at home before then, they might have to hope for another major earthquake in California. Otherwise, their season could turn into a natural disaster. 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