Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 31, 2000)
<r ||' ■ ' .--k, •'-. ... ' By Joshua Camenzind ———-’V ■■■—-- - Staff writer At halftime of its 81-72 victory over Kansas State on Saturday, the Nebraska men’s basketball team went into the locker room feeling very lucky to still be within reach of the Wildcats. The Cornhuskers were being out rebounded 23-12 and out-shot 55.6 per cent to 34.5 percent But the Huskers were only down three points, 37-34, and turned up the defensive intensity in the second half to stifle the KSU attack in front of 9,083 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. “I feel Kansas State came and shot the ball as well as they can shoot it,” said NU Coach Danny Nee, who tied the school’s career-coaching victories mark with 253. “I thought we took a heavy blow from them in the first half. “They were live, they were ' rebounding and played extremely well. We were very fortunate to be in the game.” Nebraska, which improved to 10-10 overall and 3-4 in the Big 12 Conference, led only once in the first half at 2-0, and sloppy play by both teams ensued. KSU Guard Galen Morrison, who lit up NU for 27 points in their first meeting, did not start, but came off the bench to score 12 points in 10 minutes. He shot 4 of 4 from 3-point range in the first half, keeping NU at arm’s reach. But Nebraska’s guards clamped down on Morrison and Cortez Groves. Groves, the Wildcats’ leading scorer, HUSKERS 81 Wildcats 72 shot 6 of 17 for 17 points in the game. Matt Davison, who first suited up for the Huskers on Jan. 12, started for the first time in place of Rodney Fields, who had been bothered by a leg injury, but did see 10 minutes of action off the ' bench. The rotation of four guards enabled Nee to implement pressure on the Wildcat guards. “We are just going to do different things,” Nee said. “I have such a respect for Morrison, and he was such a factor in the game that we had to guard him by platoon to wear him out” . The Huskers, on the other hand, ended their shooting funk after half time, and NU grabbed die lead at 44-43 on a Larry Florence jumper. The Huskers slowly extended their lead to 12 at 67-55 with 6:37 remaining on a Steffon Bradford free throw. Nebraska would reach that plateau twice more before the Wildcats cut the lead down to six with 1:47 remaining. Danny Walker made a layup on the ensuing possession and, after KSU Guard Morrison missed a 3-pointer, free throws decided the final score. Florence was one of six Huskers in double figures, a group led by Walker with 16 points. “We just shot the ball better in the second half and we just kept going,” Nee said. “I thought our defense on the perimeter was the best it was all sea son. 'i * ^ Mike Wurrcn uN NU GUARD Rodney Fields (right) fights for the ball with Kansas State guard Cortez Groves in the second half at the Devaney Center. NU defeated the Wildcats 81-72 on Saturday night. Fields played a key role in shutting down Groves, KSU’s leading scorer. Groves finished the game at 6-of-17 shooting. ' ' ; •• • ' ‘ \ •*' !*'•* Sx$'.'r. • .. VrJST*- •" • ~'Tr" - r\\. 1 • - r . '• Eric Eshbach makes a vault at the track and field dual meet between Nebraska and Oklahoma Saturday. Eshbach set a school record and tied for first in the nation with a vault of 18 feet and one-half inches. The vault was one ? of eight NCAA provisional marks the Hnskers made Saturday. '5V] .. y* r > ' - 1 ' * t Eschbach sets school record at meet By Jamie Suhr Staff writer In only the third meet of his col lege career, freshmaii Erie Eshbach rewrote the standard of pole vaulting at Nebraska. V . Eshbach cleared a height of 18 feet, one-half inch, easily a school record, at the NU-Oklahoma dual meet Saturday at the Devariey Sports Center track. The mark also ranks No. 1 in the nation so far this season. “The school record is not that big of a deal, I think,” Eshbach said. “At this point, this early in the season, winning means more to me than breaking the record.” After gaining the record, Eshbach attempted to reach 18-4 Vi, the quali fying mark for the Olympic Trials, but came up short. Eshbach has qualified already for nationals by vaulting 17 feet, 8 V2 inches at the 2000 Pole Vault Sumniit in Reno, Nev. on Jan. 22. While the freshman stood out among the Huskers, others also did well in the dual with the Sooners in front of a crowd of 969. Originally, North Carolina was to attend the meet, but travel complications pre vented UNC’s arrival. Shawn Kologinzack, a sopho more high jumper, had the best meet of his collegiate career, clearing 7-3, a provisional qualifying mark, on his third attempt at the height. Kologinzack narrowly missed the automatic mark of 7-4 l/2 on his sec ond attempt when his feet clipped the bar. A positive attitude was the key breakthrough, said Kologinzack, who must fill the shoes of former All American High Jumper Shane Lavy. . “Confidence was key for me,” Kologinzack said “I know I can get that national qualifying mark. It was disappointing not to get it.” Shot-putter Carl Myerscough returned to competition after spend ing part of the week in the hospital for food poisoning by throwing 62 feet, 1 % inches, a provisional mark. Myerscough has already qualified for the national meet. Other NCAA qualifying times in the dual included Natalie Dennison, a freshman pole vaulter, who cleared 12 feet, ohe-half inch, a personal bCst; Janet Dutton, a high jumper, Who cleared a personal best 5 feet, 11 % inches and Emily Waibel, who ran ; an 8.40 in the 60-meter hurdles. - Husker Jumper Dalhia Ingram swept both the long jump and the triple jump, with an impressive 42-9 ' •‘A mark in die triple jump. Ingram credited the jumps to getting on the start board;* "On the other two finals jumps, she i was behind it. NU travels to Kansas State this 7 weekend for a triangular with the l —WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Kubik pulls Huskers through Cats’ charge By John Gaskins_ -- Staff writer WILDCATS_61 Several times throughout their in foul trouble, the seniors carried Sunday game against Nebraska, the NU on their backs. Kansas State women’s basketball Kubik scored 19 of her season team appeared to have the Huskers high 26 points and hit all four of her thrown off guard. 3-point attempts in the second half. But not even a crowd of 7,680 Her final 3 gave NU a 62-54 lead jacked-up Wildcat fans at Bramlage with just over three minutes left. Coliseum, a depleted NtJ roister and sealing a hard-fought win in a game an inspired KSU team coming off a that saw 14 lead changes and seven near-victory at No. 6 Iowa State, ties. xuesuay iiigin couiu shake the road-test ed Huskers. Seniors Nicole Kubik, Charlie Rogers and Brooke Schwartz provided the answer to every KSU attempt to break away from NU in the second »half- aid led the Huskers to their fourth straight vic tory, 68-61. Nebraska (11-7 *. I thought our senior class stepped up and showed how to win on the road ” Paul Sanderford NU Coach K.-Mate lea 32-29 at halftime but saw their last lead wiped away when Rubik hit a 3 at the 7:22 mark to put the Huskers up 51-50. After Schwartz’ lay-up and a RSU free throw made it 53 51, Rubik drained another 3 that put NU up 56-51. Rogers-who played with a ana mine Big 12 Conference) improved to 5-3 on the road and continued to build con fidence heading into its showdown against No. 6 Iowa State in Lincoln Wednesday night. They also avenged a, 79-67 loss to the Cats (9 11, 2-6) in Manhattan, Kan., last year. “This was a huge win, one we desperately needed,” Sanderford said. “ItIs tough to win on the road in the Big 12; I thought our kids showed a lot of poise today ” ; With key freshman contributors Stephanie Jones, Shahidrah Roberts and Paige Sutton out with injuries and junior center Casey Leonhardt bronchial virus - earned her sixth double-double of the season, scoring 12 points and grabbing a game-high 13 rebounds. Schwartz scored 11 points and dished out seven assists. “I thought 'our senior class stepped up and showed how to win on the road,” NU Coach Paul Sanderford said. “Nicole was huge today. She knocked down shots when we needed them, and we needed team. “Charlie Rogers was huge in the second half. She was sick. We had to give her cough syrup at halftime. It’s a good thing, because we didn’t have anybody else.” IIt goes from God to Jerry to Kent to the cleaners to the Daily Nebraskan