Huskers Fall to Hawaii, 84-83

Manoa, Hawaii ? Brian Conklin and Marcus Neal turned in career nights, but Hawaii ended Nebraska’s season with an 84-83 victory late Monday in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament.

Nebraska finished the campaign with an 18-13 record while making the postseason for the first time since 1998-99. The Rainbow Warriors improved to 21-11 on the season and advanced to play Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday in an NIT quarterfinal matchup. The Wolverines defeated Oklahoma, 63-52, Monday.

Conklin led the Huskers back from a 17-point halftime, 49-32, deficit by pouring in a career-high 24 points, including 19 in the second half. The Hubbard, Ohio, native tied his career high with six three-pointers -- five after the intermission -- and grabbed six rebounds with a career-high four steals. Neal tied his career high with 15 points, while picking up four rebounds and three assists, as the Huskers nearly pulled out one of the most improbable comebacks in school history.

The Huskers fell behind by 19 points in the first half as Hawaii hit 60 percent from the field, including 6-of-11 from three-point range. Jason Carter tied his season high with 14 points in the opening period and finished with a team- and career-high 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor, includding hitting 6-of-7 from beyond the arc. Jeff Blackett added 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting off the bench while Julian Sensley had 13 points. Michael Kuebler, the 'Bows leading scorer coming into the game at 18.3 points per contest, was held to 12 points, but added seven assists. Hawaii had an NU opponent season high 25 assists on 30 shots for the game, with Logan Lee coming off the bench to dish out a game-high nine assists.

"It is a really hard game to end on because we played awfully good minutes at times," Nebraska Coach Barry Collier said. "We challenged (the Huskers) to show their character (at halftime) and that was evident in the second half."

Neal, who opened the secod half with five straight points, and Conklin, whose previous high was 20 points as a sophomore, sparked the Huskers’ 18-2 run to open the second half. Conklin nailed three consecutive shots from long range before Jake Muhleisen’s basket pulled NU within 51-50 with 16:04 remaining. The Huskers took a 55-54 after Neal’s three-pointer with 14:44 remaining, but Carter answered right back for Hawaii, hitting back-to-back three-pointers to put UH up 60-55.

Conkin shot the Huskers back in the lead for the final time, hitting consecutive three-pointers to put NU up 61-60 with 11:53 remaining. Kuebler’s three-point play then triggered a decisive 10-0 Rainbow Warrior run, as UH took a 70-61 lead after a pair of Blackett jumpers with 8:51 remaining.

"We struggled to get good defensive pressure on them," Collier said. "They have some guys who can really shoot and they were very efficient. They are a good offensive team, and they showed it tonight."

The Huskers continued to whittle away at the lead, trimming the lead to 83-80 after a pair of Neal free throws with 22 seconds left. NU then fouled Kuebler, who missed both foul shots to give the Huskers a final chance. Hawaii missed 12-of-21 free throws in the second half and hit just 55.2 percent at the line for the game, while Nebraska hit 55.6 percent at the stripe. Both teams came into the game hitting better than 70 percent at the free throw line for the season.

NU had two good looks for a game-tying three pointer in the final 10 seconds, but Neal and Conklin’s attempts both rimmed out. Blackett then split a pair of free throws before Neal’s three-pointer at the buzzer accounted for the Huskers’ final points.

"I thought it was in, but it rolled around the rim," Conklin said on his final attempt.

John Turek joined Conklin and Neal in double figures with 11 points and seven rebounds.

Nebraska postgame notes
** Playing in what turned out to be his last game as a Husker, Conklin set career highs for points (24), steals (4), field goals (9), field-goal attempts (16) and three-point attempts (12) while tying his career high for three-pointers (6). Conklin also had a team-high six rebounds and one assist without a turnover in 31 minutes.

** Neal tied his career high with 15 points by hitting 4-of-7 attempts from the floor, including 2-of-4 from three-point range and 5-of-7 from the charity stripe. He tied his career highs for rebounds (4) and steals (2) while adding three assists. Neal also had 15 points at Kansas State.

** Nebraska tied its season high with 12 steals set twice earlier this year. Conklin led four Huskers with multiple steals by collecting four, while Jake Muhleisen had three and Neal and Nate Johnson each added a pair.

** The Huskers'  51 points in the second half tied their season high for points in any period. Nebraska also scored 51 points in the second half on the road in a victory over Texas A&M.

** Despite being strapped with foul trouble nearly the whole game, John Turek pitched in 11 points and four rebounds in 23 minutes. Turek finished the season scoring double figures in six of Nebraska's last seven games.

** Hawaii's 84 points marked just the third time this season an NU opponent topped 80 points, and only the second time in regulation. Nebraska fell to 0-3 in those contests.

** The Huskers fell to 2-7 in games decided by five points or less this season with the one-point loss.

** The 83 points marked just the second time in the Huskers' last 12 postseason contests that Nebraska topped the 80-point plateau. The Huskers dropped both contests and were knocked out of postseason play.

** The comeback from 17 points down at the intermission marked the second time this season Nebraska had rallied from at least 15 points down at halftime. NU also came back from a 15-point deficit against Oklahoma at home before OU took control in the final minute and held on for a two-point victory, 52-50.