Huskers Earn 82-72 Road Victory Over Texas A&M

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COLLEGE STATION , Texas ----- Junior Brennon Clemmons scored a career-high 23 points and the Huskers held off a second-half Aggie rally, as Nebraska defeated Texas A&M 82-72 in men's basketball action here Wednesday.

Nebraska improved to 12-12 overall and 5-8 in the Big 12 to stay in a tie with Kansas State for seventh place in the league standings. Texas A&M, which now has a 5-8 record at home, fell to 9-18 on the season and 3-10 in the conference action.

After a pair of quicke Aggie baskets, the Huskers used a 10-0 run to open a five-point lead and quickly made the advantage 14 points, 20-6, as sophomore Brian Conklin drained a pair of three-pointers and Clemmons added two free throws. Clemmons and freshman Corey Simms, who had a career-high 10 points, drove the lane throughout the contest while combining for 33 points off the bench.

Following a 7-0 Aggie run, Clemmons hit a free throw and added a conventional three-point play to put the Huskers back up by eight, 27-19, with 4:14 left before intermission. Clemmons and Simms combined to go 16-of-19 at the charity stripe in the contest, as Nebraska hit 78.6 percent (22-of-28) from the line. The 22 made free throws were two more than Texas A&M attempted on the evening.

Nebraska limited the Aggies to just 34 points in the first half, including just one field goal in a 9:41 span early in the period. But A&M kept coming and cut the halftime deficit to just three, as the Aggies scored eight unanswered points in the final 1:32 before halftime.

The teams then traded the lead throughout much of the second frame, with A&M holding a one-point advantage -- its last lead in the contest -- at 56-55 on Keith Bean's free throw with 6:47 to play. Bean finished with 16 points and eight rebounds while Bernard King led the Aggies with 21 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Andy Slocum posted a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, as the Aggies took a 41-35 advantage on the glass.

Nebraska responded with an 11-0 run, keyed a pair of three-pointers from Conklin. The sophomore from Hubbard, Ohio, finished with 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting from behind the arc.

Cary Cochran's three-pointer with 2:48 to play gave NU a 72-61 lead, but the Huskers would hit just one basket from there, on Clemmons' layup with 53 seconds remaining. Nebraska hit 7-of-9 from the charity stripe in the final two minutes to seal the victory.

Muhleisen also added 15 points with six assists, while John Turek came off the bench to pace the Huskers with seven rebounds.

Nebraska returns to action on Sunday, Feb. 24, when the Huskers take on No. 1/1 Kansas at the Devaney Center in Lincoln. Tip off is set for 3 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on CBS.