Huskers Win Second Straight

Waco, Texas -Senior Venson Hamilton and freshman Cary Cochran combined for 39 points as Nebraska improved to 10-7 on the season and 2-2 in the Big 12 with a 68-55 win over Baylor in the Ferrell Center Saturday.

Baylor had no answer for Nebraska post Venson Hamilton, who scored 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting, while Cochran scored a career-high 14 points, including four-of-six from 3-point range.

"It was just a case of too much Hamilton," coach Harry Miller said. "He's a pro. He's quick, athletic and he has an economy of motion. He smells the double-team and can make the pass. We fronted him, zoned him and tried to do everything we could to deny him the ball. He was jus too much. He's just a good player."

"Venson's a great player," said Jamie Kendrick who played on a European tour with him last summer. "He's a big presence inside. About all you can do is get a hand up. It's tough to guard a guy like that. He moves well and knows his spots. And his team gets him the ball.

The loss put Baylor at 6-12 for the season, 0-4 in Big 12 play, while the Cornhuskers improves to 10-7, 2-2 in the league.

The Bears shot 43.8 percent from the field and Hamilton held BU leading scorer Kish Lewis to seven points, half of his 15 ppg average.

"Teams have come to realize Kish is our man," Kendrick, Baylor's leading scorer with 14 points, said. "We have to shoot from the outside. That's the difference in the game. We need to make our outside shots."

Gabe Ramirez joined Kendrick in double figures with 13 points, including three 3-pointers.

In the early going, Hamilton led Nebraska to a quick 10-point lead. He worked inside to score eight of the Huskers first 13 points, and when Cary Cochran, who finished with 14 points, hit a trey, NU was up 16-6 with 15:15 to play.

After Lewis scored inside and completed a three-point play for the Bears, the Cornhusker lead went to 13 at 22-9 with Cochran scoring from 17 feet at the 11:25 mark.

Ramirez cut the lead to 10 when he hit a shot inside and then pulled up for a trey to make it 24-14 with 8:20 before the half. NU's Larry Florence, who scored nine, got the margin back to 13, though, when he scored inside, making it 34-21 with 2:35 to go.

To finish the half Lewis hit both ends of a one-and-one and Rodney Smith nailed a trey, making it 34-26, Nebraska, with 50 seconds to remaining. Chad Johnson scored with 30 seconds showing and the Bears went into the locker room down 36-26.

Cookie Belcher came out and quickly scored inside twice for the Huskers, making it 40-26 with 18:48 to play. But the Bears responded with a 7-0 run with Kendrick and Lewis scoring inside. When Ramirez hit another trey the lead was down to seven at 40-33 with 16:50 showing.

Cochran then sent consecutive treys through the basket to put the Huskers back up by 13, but Ramirez got another three-pointer and Jeff Gipson scored on a layup to cut the lead to eight at 46-38. But the streak scoring continued with Hamilton scoring seven unanswered points to make it 53-38 at the 11:11 mark.

Down 15, Baylor refused to quit. When Smith nailed a 14-foot jumper he cut the Husker lead to 11 at 57-46 with 7:25 remaining.

The Bears got as close as nine on two occasions, the last coming when Kendrick hit a trey making it 64-55 with 1:45 to go, but Baylor went scoreless the rest of the way.

"Seven minutes a game is killing us," Miller said. "Three of four minutes in the first half and three or four in the second half.

The Huskers return to action next Wednesday, Jan. 20 when NU travels to Big 12 leader Oklahoma for a 7 p.m. tipoff at the Lloyd Noble Center.