Lincoln - Casey Leonhardt scored five of her team-high 20 points in an 18-3 run to start the second half, as Nebraska improved to 7-5 on the season with an 82-63 win over East Carolina in front of 2,577 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Saturday afternoon.
Leonhardt was 8-of-13 shooting from the floor and added four rebounds in posting her second straight 20- point game for the Huskers, who moved to 6-0 at home this season.
Nebraska trailed 34-33 at halftime, but took control of the contest with a strong performance in the first eight minutes of the second half, out-scoring ECU 18-3, as the Pirates (5-6) missed 12 of their first 13 shots from the floor in the second half. East Carolina shot 48 percent in the first half, but the Huskers held the Pirates to just 38 percent after intermission.
While the Pirates were struggling offensively, the Husker offensive turned in one of their best performances of the year, shooting 72 percent (18-of-25) after intermission en route to shooting a season-high 60 percent for the game.
"They came out intense," ECU Head Coach Dee Stokes, who served as an assistant to NU Coach Paul Sanderford during the 1997-98 season. "Knowing Paul, I am sure that he got them fired up. They shot the ball better tonight, especially from 3-point range. We weren't really effective tonight."
While Leonhardt controlled the paint, senior guard Amanda Went put together one of the finest games as a Husker, scoring a career-high 18 points, including 4-of-4 from 3-point range. Went topped her previous high of 17 against Missouri last season.
The Huskers also got a big boost of the bench from Greichaly Cepero in the victory. Cepero, the AVCA National Player of the Year in volleyball, hit all four shots from the floor and added a team-high six rebounds and a pair of blocks in just 15 minutes of action. Cepero joined the Husker basketball team after leading NU to a 34-0 record and a national title in volleyball this fall.
Roc Canady led East Carolina with a game-high 22 points, on 11-of-21 shooting, to lead three Pirates in double figures. Tali Robich added 15 points and six rebounds, while Tamilla Murray chipped in 10 points for ECU.
Nebraska concludes the non-conference portion of their schedule by traveling to BYU on Tuesday, Jan. 2, at 5 p.m.