Spo rtsWed nesday
Daily Nebraskan Wednesday, January 24,2001
Page 10
Fields has
best game
despite loss
If there ever was a coming out
party, Rodney Fields had one on
Saturday against Iowa State.
In undoubtedly his best game
as a Husker, Fields scored 12
points in 25 min
utes and hit the
shot that would
put his team up
one point with 17
seconds left
“We needed
one player to
come in off the
bench and give
us a spark, and he
did,” said Cookie
Joshua
Camenzind
Belchter, Fields roommate.
Of course, Nebraska would go
on to lose on a last-second basket
by die Cyclones, and Fields' effort
was all for naught
The intense pressure he gave
Barry Collier on the defensive end
against Jamaal Tinsley, the hang
ing fade-away jumpers he hit in
the lane with a hand in his face
and die reliable free-throw shoot
ing his team had lacked this sea
son meant nothing.
On paper that is.
But to a player who is looking
at his final stretch as a Husker, this
game will mean much more to
Fields.
Even though it seems Fields is
destined to be cursed - his sec
ond-best game at Minnesota ear
lier this year ended in a overtime
loss for NU - the Tampa, Fla.,
native trudges on.
Because Fields doesn t know
how to do it any other way.
Last year - Fields’ first on the
court for NU - he admittedly
struggled. With Belcher out Fields
was thrown into die fire a bit too
quickly. And coming off a broken
leg the previous season, the*rush
left Fields hurting and his game
somewhere else.
He turned it over, missed
layups and fouled at times to
make up for the step he was miss
ing. The intense, energetic player
that fans saw waving a towel on
the bench during his redshirt year
was gone.
The intensity was there in
short spurts, but the ability just
hadn't caught up, leaving Fields to
shoot just 36.6 percent from the
field and a dismal 18.5 percent
from outside the arc.
Fields had 57 turnovers in 29
games, and by the end of the sea
son, he was used sparingly by the
departed Danny Nee.
But with fresh legs under him
and the renewed fever that goes
along with one’s senior campaign,
Fields has come close to the play
er he knows he can be.
He now shoots 53 percent
from die field and 41.7 percent on
3-pointers. Fields is fourth in the
team in assists and steals while
playing 26 minutes per contest
But Fields isn’t starting any
more - he hasn’t since NU’s last
matchup with Mizzou.
Collier has instead chose to go
with the hot-shooting of Cary
Cochran when the tip goes up -
something that has tested Fields’
will, making him grow as a player.
Fields said he had put in his
time as a senior and played hard
enough to be a starter, but
thought mistakes he made in the
past hadn’t been forgotten by
Collier.
The guard missed NU’s first
three games while serving a sus
pension for violating a variety of
team rules.
"I have done some things in
the past that starters shouldn't
have done, but I have learned to
accept it and moved on,” he said.
Fields, who has had four
coaches in the last five years, said
he had struggled with die coach
ing change from Nee to Collier.
But some of his problems started
back when Assistant Coach
Jimmy Williams left for Oklahoma
State two years ago.
Transition is something Fields
has just learned to grow with.
And play through.
“It hasn’t taken away from me
playing hard,” Fields said. “I am
going to play how I normally
would play any other time.”
Fields wouldn't have it any
other way - except to win more in
the process. He hasn’t finished
with a winning record in his last
three seasons of playing.
He's tired of losing by a mere
two, three or four points. Might as
well lose by 20 if you’re going to
lose, he said.
“Because you can't pin that on
one specific moment or play,” he
said.
Without his hustle, desire and
emotion on Saturday, Fields just
may have gotten his wish against
die Cyclones.
Nebraska wouldn't have even
had a chance to let it slip away.
NU looks to overcome loss
BY BRIAN CHRBTOPHERSON
The atmosphere is-usu
ally quite gloomy in post
game press conferences of
teams that have just lost,
and things can seem bleak
er still in post-game rooms
of teams that lose heart
breakers like the last-sec
ond dagger Iowa State
stabbed Nebraska with on
Saturday.
But somewhere through
the sinister post-game
clouds that hung over
Saturday’s 60-59 ISU win
was the optimistic voice of
Nebraska guard Cary
Cochran.
Cochran wasn’t exactly
singing show tunes, but the
junior made it quite clear
this Cornhusker team was
not about to throw in the
towel on this season.
“Stuff like this has the
potential to devastate a
team Cochran said.
“But we’re not going to back
down. We’re the hunters
now, obviously, not the
hunted.”
Now, the 8-9, 1-3
Huskers have their sights
set on some Tigers from
Missouri, a humbled team
coming into tonight’s 7:05
game at the Bob Devaney
Sports Center.
The 12-5,3-1 Tigers are
on a two-game slide after
falling on the road to No. 13
Virginia 85-72 on Saturday.
To keep Missouri on the
losing path, Nebraska sen
ior guard Rodney Fields
said the Huskers needed to
stop the explosive Missouri
combination of sophomore
forward Kareem Rush and
junior guard Clarence
Gilbert.
Rush is averaging 21.6
points per outing while
Gilbert isn’t far behind with
18.1 points per contest.
Rush and Gilbert
hooked up for 30 and 16
points respectively when
Mizzou beat Nebraska in
Columbia 68-66 less than
three weeks ago.
“We can't let Gilbert and
Rush get off like they did
last time,” said Fields, who
is coming off a 12-point
performance against ISU.
“We need to play hard
nosed defense and limit
their touches and their
shots.”
Gilbert also seemed to
best Nebraska senior
Cookie Belcher in the first
meeting, frustrating
Belcher with physical play
and causing the NU guard
to turn the ball over seven
times while scoring only
eight points.
Fields said Nebraska
needed to take a different
mindset on offense into
tonight’s rematch with the
Tigers.
“We need to go out there
and get things done earlier
...” Fields said. “We need to
establish things early inside
with Kimani (Ffriend) and
then we can take it outside.”
Sitting on the outside is
Cochran, who has led the
Huskers in scoring the past
two games, scoring 17 and
15 points against Kansas
and Iowa State respectively,
mostly on sizzling three
DN File Photo
Rodney Fields, coming off a 12 point perfonnance against Iowa State, looks to
lead Nebraska past Missouri tonight at the Devaney Center.
point shooting.
Cochran is more con
cerned with erasing the
“sting” he said resided after
Saturday’s close call.
A win has now become
of the utmost necessity to
Nebraska.
We re sitting at 8-9
right now ... that’s not
where we want to be,”
Fields said. “A couple of
points and we have a better
record, but we got to win at
home. You have to get these
games.”
Nate Wagner/DN
Aletia Ingram, a freshman all-around competitor (specializing in all events) on the Nebraska gymnastic team is one of two all-around gymnasts on the team. Ingram will be
the only all-around member competing against Missouri Jan. 28.
Gymnast shines after turbulent start
Coming back from a tragic loss; Ingram has proven her worth
BY JASON MERRIHEW
Coming from an elite gymnastic pro
gram that produced the likes of Shannon
Miller and former Husker Heather Brink,
one would assume Alecia Ingram would
become a future star at the University of
Nebraska.
And after just three collegiate competi
tions, Ingram’s star is, in fact, shining bright
ly*
Right out of the gates, Ingram has proven
why she was a member of the U.S. Senior
National Team for four years (1995-99).
Facing stiff competition in the Maui
Invitational, Ingram won the all-around
title, edging out last year’s NCAA runner-up,
Mohini Bhardwaj from UCLA.
“She (Ingram) has a terrific amount of
confidence in her abilities,” NU Coach Dan
Kendig said. “She is tremendously focused
and has a great work ethic.”
Ingram’s winning score of 39.425 in the
invitational tied the best freshman mark in
school history, which was set by A.J. Lamb
last season.
In the dual against Big 12 rival Iowa State,
Ingram again took the all-around title, scor
ing a 39.325 for the Cornhuskers.
Ingram was named this year’s first Big 12
Gymnast of the Week after her incredible
debut as a Husker.
“It’s been awesome here,” Ingram said.
“It’s everything I expected and more. When
you get out on the floor and your teammates
are screaming their hearts out for you, it’s
fun.”
Her days at Nebraska haven’t always
been filled with fun. In fact, her first semes
ter at NU was filled with tragedy.
After she moved to Nebraska, Ingram
found out her father, Eddie, was diagnosed
with cancer.
He died shortly after the cancer was
detected.
“At first it was really difficult,” Ingram
said. “He was the person to help me with all
of my problems."
Although she was a newcomer to cam
pus, Ingram’s teammates rallied around her
to help cope with the loss.
“We didn’t care about the gymnastics
anymore,” senior Amy Ringo said. "We just
wanted to make sure she was OK.”
According to Kendig, the way Ingram has
carried herself shows great willpower.
“Going away for college is traumatic
enough for some people,” Kendig said. “To
have that occur, I think she has been a pillar
of strength to handle every thing she had to
handle.”
Ingram has also dealt with the transition
from club level gymnastics to collegiate level
gymnastics very smoothly.
“Going away for college is
traumatic enough for some
people.To have that occur, I
think she has been a pillar of
strength to handle every thing
she had to handle
Dan Kendig
Gymnastics Head Coach
Before joining the Huskers, Ingram
trained under former U.S. Olympic Coach
Steve Nunno at the Dynamo Gymnastics
Club.
"She came from a club that wasn’t exact
ly based on a team atmosphere,” Ringo said.
“It was based more on how you did individu
ally."
Although she has became a very effective
team player, Kendig said he feels Ingram will
continue improving.
“She will do better when she gets the
hang of college gymnastics and opens up a
lot more,” Kendig said. “She is really enjoying
her college career.”
Husker tryouts
reveal some
hidden talent
BY SEAN CALLAHAN
Throw out a big net, and, amidst the moss, you’re
bound to catch a keeper.
Last Wednesday the Nebraska football team held
its annual winter tryout, inviting anyone who
thought they were good enough to make die team to
tryout
Of the 60 or so athletes that showed up, 17 were
asked to go though the full six-week winter condi
tioning program
And after the
final testing
scores were
added up, one
name stood well
above the rest
Brandon
Biodrowski, a 5
foot-10, 186
pound freshman
from Fort
Calhoun put up
impressive per
formance index
numbers.
7 was offered
scholarships from
other schools, but I've
always wanted to play
here and I knew I
could make the team
if I tried out."
Brandon Biodrowski
Husker hopeful
His 2,318
points ranked him just outside the top five of the
team leaders.
Biodrowski's 37 Vi inch marie in the vertical led hie
team, while his 40- (4.58) and 10-yard (1.57) dash
times ranked second on the team overall.
All this was from a guy who just spent his first
semester on the seventh floor of Harper Hall, living
the life of a normal University of Nebraska-Lincoln
student
He said he looked forward to the chance to
become a Husker all fall.
“I didn’t decide to try out just now,” Biodrowski
said. “I decided to try out last year when I graduated.
Please see TRYOUT on 9
NU faces
bad odds
with CU
BY LINCOLN ARNEAL
The powers that be in the
Big 12 Conference must have
something against the
Nebraska women’s basketball
team.
After three straight games
against top-20 teams, NU (9-9,
1-4 in the Big 12) will play at
Colorado (13-3, 4-1 in the Big
12) tonight - a place they
haven’t won at in 15 years.
“The schedule hasn’t been
very kind to us,” Coach Paul
Sanderford said.
Nebraska's last win in
Boulder, Colo., came in 1985,
when starting forward Steph
Jones was five-years old.
Jones said it was never easy
playing at Colorado.
“It is definitely a challenge,
but it is a challenge we need
right now," she said.
A win in a tough environ
ment like Colorado might give
the young Husker squad the
poise it needs for the rest of the
year.
“ (It would give us) tremen
dQus confidence,” Jones said.
“We need that right now. We
need something out of
nowhere.”
Meeting the challenge the
Buffs provide won't be easy. NU
has never had it easy in Boidder,
with a 2-19 all-time record.
Even times whep the Huskers
were heavily favored against the
Buffaloes, CU pulled out a win
on its home court.
Last year’s game exempli
fied NU’s jinx at Colorado. The
senior-laden Huskers led the
rebuilding Buffs by double dig
its with five minutes left, only to
watch helplessly as a late run
propelled CU to the upset.
This years game reverses
the roles from last year. It is the
Buffaloes that are an experi
enced group while NU struggles
with its youth.
Colorado has won three
straight conference road games,
while NU has dropped their last
three.
“They are the opposite of
where we are.” Sanderford said.
“They are a much better team
then last year.”
Junior guard Mandy
Nightingale is leading the way
for the Buffaloes averaging
almost 15 points per game.
Colorado has plenty of depth to
Please see BUFFS on 9