! Sports
Friday, February 24,1995 Page 7
Huskers hope for crowd enthusiasm, victory
Nee wants ‘more
class, less profanity’
By Derek Samson
Senior Reporter
Nebraska coach Danny Nee is hop
ing Nebraska’s home court will turn
back into an advantage when the
Comhuskers play Colorado Saturday
at 12:45 p.m. in the Bob Devaney
Sports Center.
And after Nebraska upset Mis
souri 78-75 in Columbia Wednesday
night, Nee said there was no reason
the advantage shouldn’t be there.
“We need to get some enthusiasm
back in there,” Nee said. “And we
need to do it with a little more class
and a little less profanity. It seemed
like when we fell behind, the people
didn’t stay with us. I’m not talking
about just the students, but the whole
entire arena.
“I expect the crowd will be a good
one Saturday, and that’s what we
need. We need to have the crowd
behind us all the time. I’m looking
forward to having this home game; I
just hope there is more support than
the last few games.”
In the final three games, Nee is
hoping Husker fans show some sup
port, which was something he said
was missing when Nebraska dropped
six of its last eight before the win at
Missouri.
“Hey, we’re in the home stretch
right now and we need some wins,”
he said. “We expect our crowd will
help out during this final stretch,
especially since two of our last three
games are at home.
Even in our game at Kansas State,
I would like to see a big Nebraska
crowd.
“There will be plenty of tickets,
and students could go party in Man
hattan and then head over to the
game. I would think that would be a
good time for the students. I know we
could use the support.”
While Nee said he hoped the fans
would be ready to make noise Satur
day, he also hopes his players are
ready for Colorado after beating Mis
souri.
Nebraska improved to 17-9 and 4
7 in the Big Eight with its win over
Missouri, and Nee said now was not
the time to look past the 12-11 Buffa
loes.
“We’re trying to have the mental
ity of taking it one game at a time,” he
said. “We’re very focused on Colo
rado, and we have to be ready. We’re
in a must-win situation every game,
and we understand the importance of
every game. There is always the pos
sibility (of a letdown), but I think
we’ll be focused on Colorado.”
If the Huskers are in must-win
situations in their last three games, it
doesn’t hurt that the final games are
against Colorado, Kansas State and
Iowa State—the seventh, eighth and
fifth in the Big Eight, respectively.
Nee said a victory Saturday should
give the Huskers some much-needed
momentum going into the Big Eight
and possibly the NCAA tournaments.
“We’re trying to put together a
winning streak here to finish off the
season,” Nee said. “Missouri gave us
the confidence, and a win Saturday
would give us the momentum. We’re
just trying to play our way into the
tournament, and every win is cru
cial.”
Boyce hopes
for CU win,
chance at NIT
By Derek Samson
Senior Reporter
Colorado guard Donnie Boyce is a two-time
All-Big Eight selection, has scored 1,918 points
in his career and has never averaged less than
14 points a game in his four years as a starter
at Colorado.
Yet the 6-foot-5 senior from Maywood, 111.,
is far from satisfied with his college career.
“Every year since I was a freshman, we
wanted to finish above .500 and play in the post
season,” Boyce said. “It is pretty disappointing
when you don’t meet any of those expectations.
In a way, I’m glad it’s coming to an end, but
then again, it’s sad I couldn’t have done more
for Colorado’s program as far as winning.”
The Buffaloes posted a 33-45 record over
Boyce’s first three years, but are 11-12 this
season. They have a 2-9 record in the Big
Eight.
A chance for Boyce to finally meet his goal
of leading Colorado to a winning record makes
the Buffaloes’ trip to Lincoln Saturday very
important. Even more important is that a Na
tional Invitational Tournament berth is within
reach.
“We still have a shot at finishing above .500
and making the NIT,” Boyce said. “I still have
a chance to play in the post season before I leave
here, and I want that really bad. These last few
games are very important to me.”
Going into this season, Nebraska held Boyce
to his lowest scoring average against any of the
See BOYCE on 8
JonWalier/DN
Nebraska’s Chris Sallee, left, and Jason Glock celebrate after Tom Wald drilled the second of his two free throws during
the last 17 seconds of the game to put Nebraska up by one over Missouri on Wednesday. The Huskers won 78-75.
Husker gymnasts excited
for two weekend meets
By Mitch Sherman
Senior Reporter
Ten days of hard work on the
practice mat has adequately pre
pared the Nebraska men’s gym
nastics team to challenge the
nation’s No. 1 team this weekend,
Coach Francis Allen said.
The fifth-ranked Comhuskers
travel to Norman, Okla., to take
on Oklahoma at 7 tonight, and
before heading back home, Ne
braska will visit Albuquerque,
N.M., to face top-ranked New
Mexico.
The Lobos, who beat Nebraska
at the season-opening Rocky
Mountain Open on Jan. 21, are
averaging a nation-leading
228.8375pointspermeet. Between
New Mexico and Nebraska are
Penn State, Ohio State and Iowa.
Allen said the Huskers were
looking forward to competing
against New Mexico for the sec
ond time. ‘
“Scoring in New Mexico js
easy,” he said. “If you do a routine
that would score a 9.4 at Nebraska,
it’ll get a 9.6 at New Mexico. But
Nebraska is known for scoring
low. For some reason, judges seem
to think Nebraska is a window.”
In 1993, Nebraska scored
288.20 points in a meet at New
Mexico. The score, which is not
possible now because of a revised
scoring system implemented prior
to the 1995 season, is still a Husker
dual meet record.
“The team feels good about go
ing to New Mexico,” Allen said.
And as long as junior alf
arounder Jason Christie is healthy,
Nebraska should fare well, Allen
said. Christie injured his wrist ear
lier this week in practice.
“If we can use Jason in the all
around,” he said. “We’ll be fine. If
not, we’re getting thin.”
Allen said Christie thought he
would be ready to go by Sunday.
“But if his wrist is sore,” Allen
said, “I’m not going to use him.
I’m not going to sacrifice making
See NEW MEXICO on 8
Baseball team hopes for win
to set pattern for this season
By Jeff Griesch
Senior Reporter
The Nebraska baseball team hits
the road for the first time this season
when it travels to San Diego for the
Arthur Gallagher Tournament this
weekend.
But for seven Comhuskers, the
tournament will be a chance to play at
nome.
David Crain,
Scott Wulfing,
Justin Gomes,
Gus Castro, Mel
Motley, Francis
Collins and
Sergio Betancourt
all played junior
college baseball
-t—— in ^amomia.
Sanders A11 except
Collins, who is from San Francisco,
played at Riverside Community Col
lege, which is about 95 miles from
San Diego.
Betancourt, a 5-foot-10,175-pound
right-handed pitcher from Norco,
Calif., said having so many players
from California could give the Husk
ers a home-field advantage.
Betancourt said a caravan of fam
ily and friends of Riverside CC play
ers were making the 1 1/2-hour drive
from Riverside to San Diego.
“My sister sent out fliers to all of
my relatives telling them when we
play so they can all be there,”
Betancourt said. “I know that I am
going to have somewhere between 75
and 100 family and friends there just
to see me.”
Betancourt said he expected any
where between 250 and 500 people in
San Diego just to watch former River
side CC players.
“There are going to be a ton of
people there cheering for the Husk
ers,” Betancourt said. “I think it could
really help us and make us feel more
comfortable.”
Betancourt said the Huskers’ Cali
fornia connection also could help the
host school, San Diego State.
“We are helping San Diego State
make a lot of money,” Betancourt
said. “I am expecting the place to be
packed for our games. I can’t wait.”
The Huskers, 1-0, will play five
games in three days, opening against
New Mexico State at 2 p.m. Friday at
Charlie Smith Field. Right-hander
Craig Sanders is expected to start on
the hill for the Huskers.
Castro is scheduled to start in the
Huskers’ 5:30 p.m. game Friday
against Southern Utah, which was 7
43 last season.
The Huskers play two games
against No. 21 San Diego State Satur
day, with sophomore left-hander Jeff
Strasser the expected starter in the
3:15 p.m. game, and Betancourt start
ing the 10 p.m. game.
Nebraska closes the tournament
with a game against 14th-ranked
Oklahoma State Sunday at 1 p.m.
Senior right-hander Cody Winget
should get the start on the mound.
Coach John Sanders said the tour
nament field was strong, but he ex
pected the Huskers to play well.
“This is about as tough of an early
season tournament field as you’re
ever going to see,” Sanders said. “Our
goal is to go out and win and set the
tone for our season.”