Huskers Shut Down Dons in 62-52 Win

Lincoln-San Francisco - Venson Hamilton scored 10 points in the final seven minutes to help Nebraska hold off San Francisco 62-52 Sunday night and hand the Dons their first home loss of the season.

Nebraska (7-5) ended a two-game losing skid, while slumping San Francisco (7-6) lost its fifth straight and scored a season-low in points.

The Dons shot just 30.6 percent (19 for 62), including a frigid .257 clip (9 for 35) in the second half.

Hamilton's three-point play with 5:48 left in the game gave Nebraska a 50-38 lead, but Russell Hinder's left-handed finger roll capped a 9-2 run that brought San Francisco within 52-47 with 1:54 left.

Hamilton scored underneath on Nebraska's next possession for a 54-47 lead, and the Dons never again cut the lead to fewer than five points.

The Huskers finished 12 of 17 from the free-throw line and converted several crucial opportunities down the stretch.

San Francisco's Gerald Zimmerman led all scorers with 22 points.

Cookie Belcher led four Nebraska players in double figures with 13 points.

Hamilton finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, and forwards Chad Johnson and Andy Markowski added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Belcher, a junior guard and the Huskers' leading scorer, added five steals, one off his career-high for NU, which held an opponent under 60 points for the eighth time in 12 games this season.

The Dons stayed in the game by outrebounding Nebraska 48-32, including 21 on the offensive end. James Lee led the Dons with 13 rebounds.

The Dons have lost their past five games by an average of 24 points.

Already playing shorthanded after guard Dony Wilcher suddenly quit the team last week, the Dons' other point guards hardly picked up the slack.

Ali Thomas made just 1 of 12 shots and scored just three points, and walk-on Sean Van Gundy was scoreless in four minutes.

NU led 34-25 at the half behind 10 points from Belcher. Markowski added eight first-half points.

Nebraska (7-5) visits Missouri-Kansas City on Wednesday night in its final non-conference tuneup before Saturday's Big 12 Conference opener at Missouri.