Huskers Fall at Missouri

Columbia, Mo. --- Nebraska played solid for the first 30 minutes, but couldn’t keep the momentum going as Missouri used a 17-0 run late in the game to seal a 72-51 victory over the Huskers Saturday in front of 13,611 at the Hearnes Center.

 

The Tigers’ (8-7, 3-2 Big 12) surge started with Ricky Paulding’s conventional three-point play with 9:00 to play and lasted until the 5:05 mark when Jake Muhleisen hit a pair of free throws. But by that point it was too late for the Huskers, as Nebraska (11-5, 1-4 Big 12) trailed 60-46. NU’s field goal drought would last for nearly four more minutes until Corey Simms’ basket with 1:35 made it 72-48 Missouri.

 

Paulding had the first seven points of Missouri’s run and finished with a game-high 19 points, including 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Overall MU was 16-of-18 at the charity stripe, while the Huskers got there just 14 times, converting nine.

 

It was a different story in the first half. After starting out just 2-of-9 from the floor over the first eight minutes of the game, NU turned up the intensity on the offensive end as it made eight of its next nine attempts from the floor. The high-percentage shots helped the Huskers take their largest lead of the game, 22-12, on Andrew Drevo’s basket with 5:53 remaining before intermission.

 

Missouri missed 14 of its first 17 shots, but battled back before halftime, cutting Nebraska’s lead to one, 24-23, with 1:43 to play in the opening frame on a pair of Paulding free throws. NU extended the margin to four points just 20 seconds later when Brian Conklin hit the first of two treys on the night to push NU ahead 27-23. The Tigers answered with a pair of Arthur Johnson free throws and a steal and breakaway basket by Thomas Gardner to tie it at 27-all.

 

Nebraska looked to go into the locker room up by two, as the Huskers scored with seven seconds left on Jason Dourisseau’s strong drive to the basket. Gardner changed those plans as he drilled a three-pointer with four ticks left on the halftime clock to put Missouri ahead 30-29 at the break, its first lead since the 11:19 mark.

 

Gardner finished the game with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor, including 3-of-5 from three-point range. Gardner added five rebounds as the Tigers held a slim, 34-32, rebounding margin. Missouri had just nine turnovers in the game while forcing Nebraska into 16 turnovers, against just nine assists. MU also had nine steals.

 

Nebraska shot 40.4 percent for the game, but hit just 30.0 percent in the second period, including 12.5 percent from three-point range. NU came into the game leading the Big 12 in three-point field-goal percentage.

 

The Huskers return to action on Sunday, Feb. 1, when they take on Oklahoma at the DevaneyCenter. The game will tip off at Noon and can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on the Pinnacle Sports Network.

 

Nebraska Head Coach Barry Collier
On the second half
"The last 25 minutes wasn't what we tried to do, it was how we tried to do it. I didn't think we had enough toughness, and I thought Missouri played very aggressively. That's as aggressive as I've seen them play, and Quin [Snyder] said so when he spoke afterwards."

On Missouri
"Credit Missouri with some excellent play, enthusiasm, and extra effort. However, I don't think we handled that very well, either. They're playing the same physical, aggressive way from that midpoint in the first half until the end of the game."

Nebraska senior forward Brian Conklin
On the game
"It was definitely a spot that we haven't been in at this time. They just came out and made great plays. We had some breakdowns on defense, and it kind of snow balled from there. Once you get that crowd going and their confidence going, you're in trouble."