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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 2001)
ON File Photo Nebraska wiH try to avenge a lopsided M-b2 loss at Kansas' AHen Rddhouse when they host the Jayhawfcs on Sunday aftemoon.The game has NIT implications for NU, 13-13, whomust finish the season with a .500 record to qualify for postseason play. Huskers, KU both have much to play for KANSASfrompage12 Nebraska Coach Barry Collier said. “It'd be a big win not just because it's Kansas but because it’s a win, and that’s what we want as competitors.” The game is just as big for KU, who has seen its ranking slip out of the top 10 after sitting as high as No. 3 only two weeks ago. The Jayhawks may have right ed its ship in time for a late-sea son run on Wednesday night, defeating CU 91-79 at home. But Kansas will still be with out junior forward Drew Gooden for at least the Nebraska game. Gooden, who scored 17 points in KU’s 84-62 win over the Huskers on Jan. 17, will miss his fifth straight contest on Sunday due to a small fracture in his right wrist Gooden’s absence could help Nebraska, but Kansas seems to have the depth to make his loss a non-factor, Collier said. “Kansas just presents a great many of problems,” Collier said. “They’re strong inside even with the players they have. One of our goals is to learn from the last time we played them and learn from (Wednesday night).” Nebraska senior guard Rodney Fields said victory was attainable for NU if the Huskers abide by three things. “We have to make smart deci sions. Kansas likes to speed your game up, but we can't turn the ball over,” he said. “And we have to stay poised and rebound, and if we’re in the game come second half, it’ll be a dog fight” Fields also said NU would have to play much sharper than it did on Wednesday night, a 65-64 loss to Texas Tech that dealt a blow to possible Nebraska post season hopes. “If we play like we did in that game, we won’t see the postsea son,” Nebraska senior guard Rodney Fields said. “I’m a senior, and I know the other seniors on this team fully expect to play after the regular season. I think you’ll see a different team come to play on Sunday.” Fields said it wouldn't hurt to be in the friendly confines of the Bob Devaney Sports Center again, either. “Nebraska and Kansas is the most anticipated game around here,” he said. “It’s a great atmos phere, and with the crowd behind us and if we bring our A game... we’ll get a victory.” Women's basketball back on track in time for Baylor BY BRIAN CHRISTOPH EPSON It’s not maybe quite at the same level as seeing Lazarus rise from the dead, but the Nebraska women’s basketball team seems to have suddenly propped open its casket and come to life. The Comhuskers (12-15,4 10) find themselves on a two game winning streak heading into Saturday's 7:05 p.m. matchup with No. 24 Baylor (18 7,7-7) at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Huskers have a hop in their step for the first time in a long time after Wednesday's 49 46 win over Kansas. “We’ve made a team commit ment to get better,” sophomore forward Paige Sutton said. “We’ve decided to get the most of these last games and not give up on the season.” NU will need to be at its best to beat the Bears, Nebraska Coach Paul Sanderford said. “They aren’t ranked in the top 25 for nothing,” Sanderford said. “They have two tremendous players in Crockrom and Lambert” The statistics back Sanderfod up. BU junior guard Sheila Lambert is averaging 23 points per game while sophomore for ward Danielle Crockrom is aver aging 21.4. Sutton said Nebraska’s defen sive play would have to be at its best to pull off the upset "I think it's important that we guard the dribble penetration,” Sutton said. “If we do that, we can win." Sanderford said his team was gaining confidence in itself as the season comes to a conclusion. "This team has had persist ence,” he said. "The fact is that these coaches and players never have given up. We found a way to win that Kansas game. We wouldn’t have won that game a few weeks ago.” Pitchers concentrating on strikes,aggression LOUISIANA from page 12 the third starter, but an arm injury will keep him out of action for at least this weekend and possibly in the team’s Big 12 opening series against Texas Tech next weekend. It’s another small blow to a staff that has spent the young season dealing with inconven iences. “It seems like something happens every weekend," Childress said. “That first week end, we had to bump Shane back from Friday to Sunday (because of a minor back injury). Last weekend, we had to bump R.D. (Spiehs) back because he woke up sick on Friday. “Now it’s Justin, who has pitched really well so far. It’s been hard to get into a rhythm." The NU pitchers aren’t satis fied with that explanation of their struggles. The staff held a lengthy and sometimes heated meeting Monday where they discussed ways to improve. “We just got everything out," Pekarek said. “If people had stuff to say about how we’ve been pitching, they said it" In the meeting, the pitchers reestablished some goals, including throwing strikes early in the count and being aggres sive with hitters, Pekarek said. This weekend’s tournament is no guaranteed rebound for the pitching staff. Louisiana Lafayette (6-4) earned a College World Series berth last season, while Ohio State (0-0) is one of the Big 10’s best teams, and Wichita State (3-0) is a perennial baseball powerhouse. “We’re facing three pressure offenses this weekend," Childress said. “They’ll try to run on us, hit and run, not try to beat us with the three-run homer like most of the teams we face. “We have to hold their run ners on real well and try to limit their running game." While acknowledging the quality of all three weekend opponents, Pekarek said the pitchers, and the whole team, were gunning for much more than they've gotten in their first two tournaments. www.dailyneb.com "We’d be real disappointed with anything but a sweep," he said. “We have to reprove to people that we're one of the nation’s best teams, and going 2-1 every weekend isn't going to do that.” Saturday’s game against Louisiana-Lafayette will be car ried locally by Omaha’s KXVO WB 15, while Friday's game will be televised regionally by Fox Sports Southeast The DN... ✓a Take it down for a dirt nap UNBEATABLE PRICES! JL PACKAGES INCLUDE: • Student roundtrip airfare; • Accommodations m • Airport transfers and Travel Card* p; • Camera, document ip organizer, discounts,' No. 10U awaits men s gym BY KRISTEN WATERS The No. 11 men’s gymnastics team will face tough competi tion this weekend as they com pete against two top-rated teams. The Huskers play host to No. 7 Iowa today then travel to Oklahoma for a dual against the No. 1 Sooners. "It’s going to be a tough weekend of competing,” senior Jason Hardabura said. The 3-1 Huskers are excited to be hosting their first meet of the season even though they will be competing at the Pershing Auditorium instead of the Devaney Center. The loca tion of the meet was changed because of the NCAA indoor track and field championships. “They’re not excited it’s at Pershing,” Coach Francis Allen said, “but they're excited it’s at home.” NU is coming off a strong performance after its meet at Santa Barbara last weekend where they walked away with the team title, while four Huskers took event titles. Competition this weekend will be different, however. The Huskers are no stranger to the Hawkeyes. In the two pro grams’ history the teams have met 13 times, with each team winning six and tying once. In their most recent meeting, the Huskers fell to Iowa 226.300 216.675 a year ago in Iowa City. History doesn't worry Nebraska much, though. “Iowa’s a good team, but we are definitely capable of win ning,” Hardabura said. However, the Huskers may have more difficulty in Sunday’s match against the Sooners. Nebraska has competed against Oklahoma once already this season at the Rocky Mountain Open where OU bettered NU 209.750-200.050. “Oklahoma is going to be a difficult team to compete against,” Hardabura said. “They scored around 216 in their last meet which is very solid.” Nebraska will look to improve its record as competi tion against Iowa begins at 7:30 p.m. Competition against Oklahoma will start on Sunday at 2 p.m. Tennis teams face tough opponents BY VINCE KUPPKa Coming off an unexpected loss last weekend against Drake, the Nebraska men’s tennis team hopes to get back on track this weekend The task won’t be easy, though, as the 5-2 Comhuskers face three ranked opponents. NU takes on 21st-ranked Baylor (2-2) today at noon at the Woods Tennis Center before leav ing for matches against two top 50 teams - San Diego (4-1) and San Diego State (1-7) - on Saturday and Sunday, respective ly “We need to play really hard frc n die first point on-total con centration, total effort,” Coach Kerry McDermott said We need to play with lots of intensity. The key to (the Baylor) match is that our guys need to be fired up.” Lance Mills, who has played at the No. 2 spot most of the sea son, said NU was ready to take on the challenge. “We feel like we can compete in the top level of college tennis,” Mills said “From the feeling that I get, everybody has a really good opinion about how we can do against Baylor. Everybody really thinks we can win.” Mills has been the Huskers’ most consistent player this year. He is die only undefeated Husker in duals this season at 7-0 and played at No. 1 in the last two matches. While Mills has repeatedly picked up a point for NU, McDermott said the whole team needed to be ready, starting with the doubles matches. “We need to play solid dou bles,” he said “We got to win die doubles point That gives you a little bit of momentum going into the singles.” Wall Staff f DiMtfThMlrt In Lincoln’s Haymarket Can 47 STARS (4.77-8277) 'Tv | i i 'i- " ".... The Huskers did not have that momentum last weekend against Drake (1-3), losing two of the . three doubles matches en route to a one-point team loss, 4-3. Despite coming off a loss against die Bulldogs, the Huskers believe they can rebound against Baylor, McDermott said. “Our guys feel confident that if we play well we can win this match," he said. “I feel really com fortable about being able to pull a huge upset” ' In women’s tennis action, the 61st-ranked Huskers (8-0) start their conference season at fifth ranked Texas (4-0) on Saturday and then face Z^-ranked Texas A&M (7-0) on Sunday. Haying in its first away match of the year, NU also will face its first ranked opponent, the Longhorns. Coach Scott Jacobson said a win this weekend could help pro pel the Huskers to their season goal. “To do this point we’ve done everything we’ve really had to do in older to have an opportunity to be in the hunt for die NCAA tour nament, which is our long term goal,” Jacobson said. “What we’re going to have to do is beat some body ahead of us in the national scale. This is a great opportunity.” 626 "P" StrMt • (402) 677-2277 A I Joanna uonnor Tonight “...she boasts a strong voice and is a truly dazzling guitarist, with a flaming side attack that can hold its own against that of any blues picker of the opposite gender” I The Watering Hole! "Home of Lincoln's Best Buffalo Wings’* I ■__■ Saturdaysn ^^^■i.oo3 ^■Weli Drinks I Ail Night! mm LaaU