Huskers Sweep Kansas State

Lincoln - Kimani Ffriend scored eight of his game-high 17 points in an 18-6 run to start the game, as Nebraska reached the .500 mark with a 82-56 victory over Kansas State in front of 7,022 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Wednesday evening.

Ffriend, who scored just three points in the Huskers' 58-69 loss at Baylor on Saturday, triggered NU's first-half offensive outburst, as the Huskers (12-12 overall, 5-6 in Big 12) completed their first sweep of Kansas State since the 1993-94 season and enjoyed their largest conference win since a 106-67 victory over Colorado on Jan. 8, 1994.

The Huskers, who rallied to defeat the Wildcats, 63-61, in Manhattan on Jan. 30, took control early with KSU's only lead coming on the first basket of the game. The Huskers hit eight of their first 11 shots from the floor, compared to just 2 of 10 for the Wildcats, while building a double-figure lead that would last the rest of the evening.

The 6-11 center scored 14 points, on six of eight shooting, in the first half, as the Huskers led by as many as 21 in the first half before taking a 40-23 lead into the locker room. The Huskers shot 53 percent in the half, as Ffriend and Cookie Belcher, who was held to a season-low two points on Saturday, combined for 23 points before intermission.

NU also held KSU to one of its worst shooting percentages of the season, as the Wildcats (8-14, 2-9) converted just eight of 24 from the floor and committed seven turnovers before halftime.

Ffriend, who posted his seventh double-double of the season, was one of four Huskers to finish in double figures. Cookie Belcher finished with 15 points and a season high eight assists, while Brian Conklin and Rodney Fields each chipped in 11 points. Conklin also established a career high 17 rebounds, the most by a Husker this season.

In all the Huskers, who led by as many as 31 points, shot 53 percent from the floor and enjoyed a commanding 45-30 edge on the glass.

Richie Terry led Kansas State with a career-high 16 points, while Larry Reid also finished with 10 points.

The Huskers begin a two-game road trip on Saturday, Feb. 17, when the Huskers travel to Boulder, Colo., to take on Colorado at 3 p.m. The game will be televised locally on Channels 10/11 in Lincoln and Channel 3 in Omaha.

Nebraska Postgame Notes vs. Kansas State
*- The Huskers swept the Wildcats for the first time since the 1993-94 season and the Huskers first regular-season season sweep of a Big 12 opponent since the 1998-99 season (vs. KU)

*- Nebraska's 26-point victory its largest in conference play since a 106-67 victory over Colorado on 1/8/94. The previous high in a Big 12 game was 23 points in a 76-53 win over Missouri on 1/18/97.

*- Brian Conklin set a career-high with 17 rebounds and scored 11 points for his double-double of his career. His 17 boards are the most by any Husker this season and eclipses his previous high of nine against Oral Roberts in the season opener. The previous team high this season was 16 by Kimani Ffriend against Missouri (1/24/00). Conkin's 11 first-half rebounds were two fewer than Kansas State entire first-half total, and four off the school record for rebounds in a half, set by Carl McPipe on Dec. 16, 1977 against California-Davis. Over the past three games, he is averaging 12.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.

*- Kimani Ffriend recorded his seventh double-double of the season (and 15th of his career), scoring 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Ffriend has six of his seven double-doubles in conference play. He also blocked three shots and now has 152 blocked shots, becoming only the third Husker to block 150 or more shots in a career.

* The double-doubles by Ffriend and Conkin marked the first time NU has had two players finish with double doubles since 1/19/00, a 70-67 win over Texas Tech.

* - Cookie Belcher had a season high eight assists, topping his previous season high of seven (vs. UMKC on 12/8/00; and vs. OSU on 12/7/01). He also moved into sole possession of eighth place on NU's career assist charts, passing Jaron Boone, who had 446 career assists from 1993 to 1996. With his three steals, he now has 339 in his career and needs just five steals to get into the top five on the NCAA charts. NU also had a season high 25 assists, topping the previous high of 20 vs. Oklahoma State (2/7/00).

*- Cary Cochran extended his streak of games with at least one three-pointer to 17. He had connected on at least one three-pointer in 23 of 24 games this season. He also moved into a tie for third place on NU's single-season three-point chart, passing his previous high (62 set last season) and equaling the 63 made by Eric Piatkowski in the 1993-94 season.

* - It is the 13th time this season NU has shot better than 50 percent from the floor, but only the first time in the last nine games.

*- Nebraska held KSU to just nine points in the first 10 minutes, marking the third time in the last 12 games that the Huskers have held an opponent in single-figures in the first 10 minutes of a game.

*- Nebraska's 40-point first half marked the sixth time this season (and second in the last three games) that the Huskers have scored 40 or more points in a first half this season. It is also only the fifth time this season a Husker opponent was held to 25 or fewer points in a half this season

*- The 17-point lead is Nebraska's largest first-half lead this season and only the second time in the last nine games that NU has led at the break.

*- Nebraska's 31-point lead (76-45) with 4:58 remaining ties NU's biggest lead at any point during the season.

Kansas State Notes
*-First points of the season for Donnie Wallace, who had played in 14 games prior to tonight

*- Tonight marked the debut of Rashad Washington, who also plays on the KSU football team

*- The 17-point halftime deficit equaled the Wildcats' largest of the season (53-36 at KU on 1/27)

*- KSU trailed at halftime for the 10th time this season (1-9 in those games) and for the fourth straight game

*- Larry Reid converted a three-pointer for the ninth consecutive game. With 10 points, Reid has reached double figures in eight of the past nine games (15.0 ppg in that stretch).

* - Richie Terry set career-highs in both points (16) and steals (5), topping his previous collegiate best of 11 on Nov. 18 against UT-San Antonio. Terry's five steals were the most by a Wildcat this season. Terry also held the previous high with four thefts against Kansas (1/27/01)

*-The 26-point deficit equals KSU's largest of the season (92-66 loss to KU on 1/27)

Nebraska vs. Kansas State Postgame Quotes
Nebraska Coach Barry Collier
Opening Comments
"I thought our team played with great intensity and focus. We did our part rebounding the ball and taking care of it throughout the game. I was pleased that we continued to play with a big lead."

On the team's consistency
"I think we had a few segments where our defense was questionable for different reasons, but we always seemed to bounce back. There were a lot of good minutes out there, more so than in most games."

On freshman forward/center Brian Conklin
"He was a beneficiary of a pre-game dunk to start this game because he was not in the starting lineup. He was active on the boards and he really had a great game. He's getting more and more confident playing in the Big 12. As Brian has played better, it's obvious he complements both (Steffon) Bradford and (Kimani) Ffriend."

On the match-up in the post
"I thought (Kansas State) really cramped us and clamped down against us in Manhattan.

We always try and go inside and at the same time have some shots outside. I thought there was a lot of unselfish play tonight."

Kansas State Coach Jim Wooldridge
Opening Comments
"This was a real nightmare, it really surprised me what happen here tonight, not in the loss to Nebraska, but how the game unfolded, how we reacted to the game. It was a huge disappointment. As a coach and as players we need to be accountable. It's hard to say why we played this way tonight. We have to go home and figure out how to give a better effort. We just got tossed around tonight. "

On the substitutions
"I was just looking for players who had energy. Wallace and Washington earned their minutes with the way they played tonight."

Freshman Guard Rashad Washington
On playing first Division I basketball game
"I was really sad with the outcome of this game. I felt I was ready to play tonight. I played up to my potential considering it was my first D-I game. My shot wasn't there but in time it will come."