Richardson Lifts Huskers Past Texas Tech

Lubbock, Texas --- Trailing by 13 points at the half, the Nebraska men's basketball team staged a gritty comeback culminating in senior Charles Richardson Jr.'s last-second 3-pointer to escape with a 61-59 road win at Texas Tech on Tuesday.

Richardson grabbed a loose ball following a missed last-ditch 3-point attempt by senior Marcus Perry, dribbled to the right wing and drilled the winning shot as time expired with several Red Raider hands in his face. The effort gave Nebraska (14-8 overall; 3-5 Big 12) a second straight road victory in Big 12 Conference play, a first for the Husker program since the 1999 season. The win also marked NU's first in four attempts at Tech's United Spirit Arena.

The 13-point deficit ranks as the top deficit overcome by the Huskers in a win this year, erasing the previous high of 10 points during NU's 70-57 win at Houston.

Perry continued his recent solid play Tuesday, as he was instrumental in helping NU erase a six-point deficit with only 5:38 remaining. The Anniston, Ala., native drilled three second-half shots from behind the arc, all with under six minutes remaining, to pull the Huskers even just after the three-minute mark. The two teams then traded baskets and free throws, with the Red Raiders taking a one-point advantage, until Richardson's final clutch shot.

Richardson led the Huskers with 15 points, only one off his career high, and he tied a season high with six rebounds while adding seven assists against only one turnover. Perry, who chipped in 13 points, combined with Richardson to hit 5-of-11 3-point attempts. Junior Aleks Maric rebounded from a two-point first half to finish with 11 points, including his second career trey, and a team-high seven boards. Sophomore Jamel White and freshman Sek Henry added seven and five points, respectively.

Junior Martin Zeno paced Texas Tech (15-9 overall; 4-5 Big 12) with a game-high 18 points and six rebouds, while senior Jon Plefka scored 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Alan Voskuil also reached double figures with 14 points, and he added six boards.

Facing its daunting half-time deficit, Nebraska started the second stanza in solid fashion by getting the ball inside to Maric and finding its outside rythm. Maric scored four quick points on a basket and two free throws and freshman Jay-R Strowbridge added a 3-pointer and followed up his missed trey for a layup.

Richardson's 3-pointer at the 16:07 mark pulled the Huskers within six, 34-28, and Nebraska cut the deficit to four on a Maric basket. Plefka followed with another three-point play for the Red Raiders and Zeno pushed the lead back to nine with a basket 30 seconds later.

White found his shooting touch with a basket off an inbounds play and a long 3-pointer that pulled the Huskers back within six, 46-38, with 10:04 to play. Zeno extended the lead back to nine, 49-40, with a trey as the shot clock ticked down, and junior Charlie Burgess added a basket in transition to make it an 11-point Red Raider lead with just under seven minutes to play.

White came back with a pair of free throws and Perry added his first two 3-pointers of the game to pull Nebraska within three, 51-48, with 4:19 to play. Perry added another 3-pointer and two free throws and Richardson had three straight free throws after being fouled beyond the arc to give NU its first lead of the second half at 58-57 with 1:28 to play.

Texas Tech would regain the lead on a pair of Zeno free throws, and the Red Raiders had a chance to extend their edge in the final minute, but the Huskers put together a strong defensive stand to regain possession with under 24 seconds remaining.

Nebraska started the game on a strong note defensively, holding the Red Raiders without a field goal for more than seven minutes to begin the period. Texas Tech misfired on its first eight shots from the floor and did not score a point until Alan Voskuil hit a 3-pointer at the 12:28 mark. His bucket cut the Husker advantage to 5-3, as NU received baskets from Richardson and freshman Ryan Anderson, his 34th 3-pointer of the year, to open a five-point lead just three minutes into the game.

The Huskers also struggled from the field early as they hit just 3-of-10 to open the game, but a jumper from Henry and 3-pointer from sophomore Paul Velander pushed the Husker lead to six, 14-8, with 8:37 remaining before the half.

Voskuil and the Red Raiders then went on a tear, turning a six-point deficit into a 13-point halftime lead as they scored 21 of the next 23 points. Voskuil and Jon Plefka added conventional three-point plays to tie the game at the 6:32 mark before Maric got on the board with his first basket of the game and gave NU its last lead of the half at 16-14.

From there, Ogden and Plefka then hit back-to-back 3-pointers and the Red Raiders pushed their run to 18-2 after Zeno converted TTU's third three-point play of the half. NU was unable score again in the period as it tied its season-low point total for a half, marking the second time in three games it was held to 16 points in the opening period.

Nebraska returns to Lincoln to start a two-game home stand this weekend when it takes on league-leading Texas A&M at the Devaney Center. The Huskers and Aggies will tip off at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10, and the game can be seen throughout the state on FSN Midwest.