Sports
Sam McKewon
Nebraska
has proven
its mettle
We're sitting there, watching this
upset thing unfold on a 13-inch
Sylvania TV at the Daily Nebraskan.
There we were, myself and Jeff
Randall, a designer at the DN who
knows where things stand when it
comes to Nebraska playing basket
ball in Kansas.
I knew it too. NU doesn’t win in
Kansas. Not at Allen Fieldhouse. Not
now. Not ever. Because it’s
Nebraska. And it’s Kansas. And hell
hasn’t frozen over yet.
And so NU’s down 49-38, and I
start speaking about nails m coffins
and starting up the bus when another
designer, Tim Karstens, who also
knows where things stand, says two
words, ones I thought to be true.
“Paper tigers,” Tim says. “Paper
tigers.”
He’s referring to Nebraska, of
course, and the fact that when it’s
really mattered, when it seemed like
Nebraska was finally going to make
a statement, it didn’t. It lost down the
stretch. Or made a mistake. Or threw
a stupid pass. Or gave up.
But not this time. No paper tigers
here. NU found a soul in Lawrence
on Wednesday, much like Kansas
State found a soul when it beat
Nebraska in football. The Huskers
won when they least expected to, in a
season where it never seemed like it
could happen.
It matters little w'hat happens
from here. Danny Nee’s proven it. So
has Venson Hamilton. And Cary
Cochran. .And Cookie Belcher. And
the rest of them. They proved that by
hitting rock bottom, you can return to
something you’ve never achieved.
People laughed at NU after the
nonconference season. Tossed them
up as joke. The “Fire Nee” chant
started again. In the midst of that, the
Huskers have put together their best
and most spirited run. well. ever.
Eight out of nine games the
Huskers have won. They’ve beaten
four ranked opponents. They've won
on the road. They’ve won prettv and
ugly. They’ve won every which way
but loose.
Isn't it ironic, in a season when
Nebraska football was less than glo
rious, that we might get this surprise?
Nee said Monday he was a perfect fit
to contrast NU’s football program,
and I'm beginning to think he’s right.
So when Larry Florence made
the icing free throws Wednesday and
Tim. Jeff and I watched it happen,
Jeff said, “They got it.” And he's
right. Maybe in more ways than one.
NU might in the Big 12
Conference. They could win a
NCAA Tournament game. These
Huskers. unlike the rest, give that
feeling that this is their season, and
they’re not giving it up.
The victory in Lawrence made it
official: Nebraska is a paper tiger no
more.
Sam McKewon is a junior
news-editorial and political sci
ence major and a Daily Nebraskan
senior editor.
Huskers rally to upset Kansas
Win at Allen Fieldhouse first for a Nebraska team in 15 years
By David Wilson
Staff writer
LAWRENCE, Kan. - They didn’t
panic.
Surrounding by the deafening cry
of 16,000 fans at Allen Fieldhouse and
trailing by 11, it would have been easy
for the Nebraska basketball team to
fold against Kansas on Wednesday
night.
They could have packed it up,
licked their wounds and left Lawrence
in similar fashion to the last 15
Comhusker teams that played here.
But something went differently
this time.
The KU ran midway through the
second half wasn’t enough to put NU
out of commission. It was Nebraska
that struck back in Jayhawk fashion.
Using runs of 10-1 and 16-4, the
Nebraska 64
Kansas59
Huskers jetted from a double-digit
deficit to their first win at Allen
Fieldhouse since the 1982-83 season.
With the 64-59 victory, NU improved
to 16-8 overall and 8-3 in the Big 12
Conference - just one game out of first
place.
“Kansas is famous for their runs,”
NU Coach Danny Nee said. “When
they put the runs on us, they didn't take
us out. Our kids never quit. We didn’t
win pretty, but we found a way to win.”
Kansas, which dropped out of the
Top 25 for the first time since 1991
with a loss in Lincoln last nonth, fell to
16-7 and 8-3. The Jayhawks had won
62 straight at home prior to a loss to
Iowa earlier this season.
“It was kind of a David and Goliath
When they put the runs on us, they didn 7
take us out. Our kids never quit. Ue didn 7
win pretty, but we found a way to win.”
Danny Nee
NU head coach
story',” forward Andy Markowski said.
“You always thought you could come
down here and compete, then you get
down by 11 and kind of give up.
“At the start of the season, to say
we could sweep Kansas was probably a
stretch. But with our heart, we fought
to the end.”
The Huskers used two Kansas
turnovers and two airballs by Jayhawk
guard Kenny Gregory to spark the 10
1 run that put NU within two points
with just over five minutes left in the
game.
From there, the J.r hawks made
just 3 of9 attempts from the free-throw
line, and a 3-pointer from NU guard
Cary Cochran with 2:42 gave the
Huskers the lead for good at 56-55.
But KU had its shots With 117
Please see KANSAS on 10
BU shocks
Nebraska
at home
■ The Cornhuskers see a 27-game
winning streak at the Devaney
Center end as Baylor wins 59-53.
By Jay Saunders
Staff writer
All good things must come to an end. On
Wednesday night, one of them did.
In front of a crowd of 4,662 at the Bob Devaney
Sports Center, the Baylor Bears ended the Nebraska
women’s basketball team’s 27-game home court win
ning streak, shocking the Cornhuskers with a 59-53
victory.
“You have to give credit to Baylor,” NU Coach
Paul Sandcrford said. “Evidently, we thought all we
had to do was show up.”
The Huskers (16-8 overall and 5-6 in the Big 12
Conference) showed up, but weren't able to score for
■■■■ i —the first five minutes
Baylor 59 and 12 seconds.
Nebraska 53 Five of Nebraska's
^^—^first six possessions
were turnovers, and the
Bears (13-10 and 5-6) jumped out to a 9-0 lead.
Junior Nicole Kubik made the Huskers’ first bas
ket. but Baylor scored 6 more points to make the lead
15-4.
“The first 10 minutes is undoubtedly the worst
we've ever played.' Kubik said “I don't think we've
ever come out that flat”
Up 11 points, the Bears offense cooled off. NU
| was able to cut the lead to 20-19 during a six-minute
stretch in w hich Baylor did not score.
NU went into halftime dow n by 3 and seemingly
had momentum. But the beginning of the second half
mimicked the opening stanza.
The Huskers took the lead 27-26, but 16 seconds
later, Baylor retook the lead and did not relinquish it.
Nebraska made a second-half run. but Baylor senior
Laura Webb ended thoughts of another comeback
win.
The 5-foot-10 senior didn’t hit a field goal in the
first half. But w ith 1:36 to play. Webb made a 3-point
er that pushed the Bears' lead to 55-51.
“I was very disappointed with our mental prepara
tion," Sanderford said. “We came out early and chased
the ball. We got down by 11 and had to fight back from
that.”
Baylor gave the Huskers a taste of their own med
icine with a tenacious full-court trap. Nebraska had
trouble setting up its half-court offense.
The Huskers were forced into 18 turnovers.
“They pressured the ball pretty well,” Sanderford
said. “We looked like we look on the road sometimes.”
Kubik led Nebraska with 19 points. Her six steals
Heather rn exrorki'HN
CANDACE BLACKBIRD dishes a no-look pass on a fast break during the first half of Wednesday night's
game against the Baylor Bears. The Huskers lost 59-53, the first time Coach Paul Sanderford’s team
has lost at the Devaney Center.
gav e her 106 this year, which is a single-season record.
Cisco Gilmore added 13 points and 13 rebounds, giv
ing her the first double-double of her career.
Gilmore didn’t mention her individual honors
after the game.
“(Losing at home) is embarrassing to me and my
teammates,” Gilmore said. “This is our home court,
and there is no excuse for it.”
The Huskers’ home-court streak was the third
longest in the nation. Baylor also ended Arkansas
State’s 40-game streak earlier this year.
After the game, the Baylor players were surprised
to hear they had ended another streak. That’s because
Bears' coach Sonja Hogg didn’t tell them.
"1 felt they didn't need any extra pressure," I logg
said. “They went out and played and didn't have to
worry about it."
The game puts both teams at 5-6 in the conference.
The difference is Baylor next plays at home, and the
Huskers must travel to Lawrence. Kan lor a game
with No. 21 Kansas.
“The loss really hurts our basketball program "
Sanderford said. “We've got to steal one where some
one doesn’t expect us to.”
“We’ve got to see what kind of gut cheek time this
is.”