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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1996)
Monday, February 12,1996 Page 10 SPOKI'S OPINION Husker hoops reach new low in loss to ISU AMES, Iowa—If the Nebraska basketball team loses every game from now until the end of the sea son, it could not possibly fall any lower than the point it reached Sat urday. The Comhuskers’ 74-59 loss to Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum was a pathetic display of unity, a clinic on how not to play basketball as a team. For the past two weeks, this team has been toying with disaster. It has been hanging over the edge of a cliff. On Saturday, Danny Nee and company fell. And they hit rock bottom with a resounding thud, re sulting in one of the low points in Husker basketball history. Sure, the 1995-96 Huskers have fared much better than many past Nebraska teams. But no group in recent history has come this far from reaching its potential and no coach has had such little control. From top to bottom, this Ne braska team is loaded. They have talent two-deep at every position. The Huskers should have had no problems contending for second place in the league this season. In stead, they will soon be fighting to stay out of the cellar. Nebraska is suffering from a lack of communication. Players ar gue openly on the court. They scream at each other in the locker room and fail to accept responsibil ity. This team has fallen behind the rest of the Big Eight because Eddie Sutton, Tim Floyd, Kelvin Sampson and Norm Stewart’s clubs, unlike Nebraska, have improved over the past month and a half. Nebraska has self-destructed. After the game Saturday, several Huskers—most notably struggling senior Jaron Boone — tried to hide the fact that they have forgotten how to play as a team. A few Huskers danced, sung, and in Boone’s case, made obnoxious yelping noises in the locker room. “We’ve got strong leaders on this team,” guard Tran Wald said, “but the hurdle is so large, I don’t think anybody knows.” Nebraska’s seniors sure have a strange way of showing leadership. Boone was suspended for mouth ing off to Nee. Erick Strickland and Terrance Badgett have both been kicked out of key conference games. In Nebraska’s five-game losing streak, Strickland, Boone and Badgett have averaged a total of 27 points, six turnovers, nine rebounds and seven assists per game. The Huskers need more production out of their three seasoned seniors. Suddenly, intimidating, experi enced and dangerous Nebraska has become the laughingstock of the Big Eight. A sign posted on the door of Iowa State’s locker room Satur day depicted Nebraska as a lousy, conceited bunch. The sign called the Huskers pansies. See SHERMAN on 11 Nebraska remains O-for-February py i re vor rants Senior Reporter AMES, Iowa — Teamwork. Hustle. Listen to coaches. on a grease board in the Nebraska basketball team’s locker room Sat urday afternoon. Unfortunately for the Comhuskers, none of the three were achieved. Iowa State, however, apparently had been in the Nebraska locker room before the game. The Cyclones Iowa State Nebraska executed as Nebraska had hoped to do, blasting the Huskers 74-59 be fore a crowd of 13,964 fans at the Hilton Coliseum. The loss was the fifth straight for Nebraska, which dropped to 15-9 overall and 3-6 in the Big Eight. The last time Nebraska lost five consecu tive games was during its 10-18 sea son in 1989-90. In the Huskers' season-low out put of 59 points, they had four play ers score in double figures. Nebraska was led by freshman point guard Tyronn Lue, who scored 13 points, all of which came in the second half. Terrance Badgett, Bernard Gamer and Jaron Boone each contributed 11 points. No. 21 Iowa State (17-5 and 6-2) increased its hold on second place in the conference. Iowa State is now one game behind Kansas after the Jayhawks’ 77-73 loss at Missouri Saturday. “It’s really hard, and we’re just going to have to regroup,” Nee said. “The losing now has set in, and we have to stop it.” Instead of jumping to a 12-0 lead as it did Feb. 3 in Lincoln, Iowa State struggled early, missing its first nine shots of the game. The Cyclones did not make a field goal for the first seven minutes and 16 seconds and shot 31 percent in the first half. Nebraska built a 6-1 lead, but af ter two free throws by Cyclone cen ter Kelvin Cato, Dedric Willoughby made the Cyclones’ first field goal of the game, a 3-pointer to tie the game at six. Willoughby scored a game-high 29 points and made seven 3-point ers. Kenny Pratt added 17 points and 10 rebounds. Iowa State never trailed after Joe Modderman made a 3-pointer with 11:58 left in the first half. For the first half, Nebraska scored a season low 23 points and trailed by eight points. See ISU on 11 Scott Bruhn/DN Nebraska’s Andy Markowski, Iowa State’s Jacy Holloway (left) and Klay Edwards scramble for a loose ball Saturday. The Huskers dropped their fifth straight game 74-59 to the Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum. Willoughby warms up against NU By Gregg Madsen Staff Reporter AMES, Iowa —The howling wind outside the Hilton Coliseum on Sat urday was bone-chilling, but it did not affect Iowa State s Dearie Willoughby. The 6-foot-3 junior guard heated things up for the Cy clones, netting 29 points and five rebounds in the Cyclones Willoughby 74-59 victory over Nebraska. “I was on fire,” Willoughby said of his career-high point total. A transfer from the University of New Orleans, Willoughby was 7-of 12 from 3-point range and 6-of-9 from the free-throw line. Willoughby, who is averaging more than 20 points per game for the Cy See WILLOUGHBY on 11 More records fall at Husker Invite By Vince D’Adamo Staff Reporter Some things are certain in life: death, taxes and after Saturday, record-breaking performances at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invita tional. UCLA’s Valeyta Althouse set an all-time collegiate record in the shot put with a heave of 59 feet on Sat urday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center indoor track. On Friday, South Carolina’s Dawn Ellerbe shattered her own collegiate mark in the 20-pound weight throw with a mark of 66 feet, 8 3/4 inches. Nebraska’s Joe Laster, a junior from Plains, Ga., broke the Husker Invite record Friday in the long jump with a leap of 26-1/4. The record previously was held by Comhusker teammate Robert Tho mas. Laster’s effort was an NCAA qualifying mark. “When I got there, I was like 'hype me up,”’ Laster said. “When they did that, I said 'I’m going all out.’” Laster, who was recruited by Georgia, said the incentive for a great effort grew when he saw that the Bulldogs were competing in the meet. “I couldn’t wait to let them know how I was doing,” said Laster, who transferred to Nebraska from Barton County (Kan.) Community College. Freshman high jumper Shane Lavy placed first in the high jump with a leap of 7-5, tying a Husker Invite record. After the event, Lavy said he was saving his best for the Big Eight Championships, Feb. 23-24, at the Devaney Center. He would have been allowed three attempts to break the record, but opted not to jump again. On the women’s side, Husker shot-putter Tressa Thompson placed second to UCLA’s Althouse. Thompson’s toss of 57 feet set a new Husker record. The previous mark was held by ho- All-Ameri can teammate, Paulette Mitchell. Thompson is now ranked second in the nation. “It was fun setting a new school record,” Thompson said. “I was going for my personal best. I just felt like God told me I had some thing big coming.” When the Huskers were not set ting records, they were still winning their events in the two-day meet. KSthy Travis-Miiller won the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.21 seconds. All-American triple jumper Nicola Martial leaped a career best 43 8 1/2, winning the event, and Angee Henry placed first in the long jump with a 21-foot effort. Matt Mlller/DN Nebraska junior long jumper Andrea Bourland competes Saturday in the Husker Invite. The 4 x 400-meter relay team of Miiller, Henry, Jill Myatt and Tisha Croom won first-place honors with a season-best outing of 3 minutes, 44.29 seconds. In the men’s 55-meter hurdles, Nebraska’s Willie Hibler came in first with a time of 7.385 seconds. Husker teammate Charles Reid finished be hind Hibler by an eyelash with a time of 7.388 seconds. Nebraska’s Lou Petricca won first-place honors in the mile with a time of 4:17.01, a personal best. The Husker men and women will compete at the NIAC Invitational on Friday at the Devaney Center before defending their Big Eight titles the following week.