Huskers Win Home Finale 69-63 Over Cyclones

LINCOLN, Neb. --- Junior Nate Johnson scored a game-high 20 points and sophomore John Turek added 17 as the Nebraska men's basketball team won its second straight league game with a 69-63 victory over Iowa State in front of 9,801 fans at the Devaney Center Saturday night.

Guard Brennon Clemmons -- the Huskers' lone senior who was honored before the game - scored just three points but added nine rebounds and seven assists, as Nebraska dominated the glass. NU won the rebounding advantage by a 49-35 mark, setting season single-game highs for total rebounds and offensive boards (20).

Clemmons' single basket was the last field goal of the home season for the Huskers, as he made a layup with 31 seconds remaining in the game to give NU a 65-60 lead.  ISU's Tim Barnes then hit a three-pointer just seven seconds later to pull the Cyclones within two.

Barnes' long range shot capped a 13-3 ISU run to get the Cyclones (14-11, 4-10 Big 12) back in the contest. But Iowa State missed four other shots in the final minute while NU hit four free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

The Cyclones finished the game hitting 39.4 percent from the field, including just 30.0 percent in the second period, while the Huskers hit 43.1 percent from the floor. The Cyclones were just 1-of-13 from three-point range after the break as Nebraska outscored ISU 35-29 in the second half.

After entering the intermission tied at 34, the teams traded baskets for the first seven minutes of the second half. Turek's layup at the 13:05 mark tied the game for the sixth time in the contest, 42-42, before the Huskers used a 9-0 run to open a 51-42 advantage with 9:17 to play. Turek scored the first four points of the run while Andrew Drevo added a basket and Johnson completed the surge with a three-pointer. 

Iowa State cut the lead to five, 51-46, before junior Brian Conklin hit a three-pointer to put Nebraska ahead by eight. The teams went back and forth for the next three minutes until Drevo's dunk with 4:49 remaining put NU ahead 58-50. Freshman Jason Dourisseau, who had a season-high seven boards and four assists with seven points, then made a layup to give the Huskers their first double-figure lead of the game. Turek then dunked off a perfect lob pass from Clemmons to bring the crowd to its feet and give NU the largest lead of the game before the Cylones started pressing and cut the lead to two points in the final minute.

Nebraska's momentum in the second half came after a furious finish in the first period that left the teams even entering the locker room.

The Huskers held an early 7-5 advantage before ISU took a 13-9 lead with 13:24 to play in the period. The Cyclones opened the lead to eight and kept it there for three minutes until Johnson and Dourisseau started to bring the Huskers back. Nebraska trailed 29-21 until Johnson hit a jumper for his first points of the game at the 4:13 mark to cut the lead to seven. Drevo then hit a jumper to make the deficit four and Johnson added another basket at the 2:49 mark to make it a two-point game.

After an ISU basket, Dourisseau was fouled while making a jumper and hit the free throw to cut the lead to one, 31-30, with 1:07 remaining the opening frame. Adam Haluska then hit a trey to put the Cyclones back up by four, but Johnson hit a jumper 20 seconds later and Dourisseau dunked home the tying points with two seconds left in the period following a Clemmons' steal.

Barnes led the Cyclones with 16 points and five assists while Jake Sullivan, the third-leading scorer in the league at 18.4 points per game, had 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting. Jackson Vroman added a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Nebraska returns to action on Tuesday, March 4, when they hit the road to take on nationally ranked Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and can be heard live on the Pinnacle Sports Network and Huskers.com.