<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Columbia, Mo. - Kelsey Griffin erupted for a season-high 23 points, including 17 in the second half, to carry the Nebraska women’s basketball team to a 73-67 come-from-behind victory over the Missouri Tigers at Mizzou Arena on Sunday afternoon.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
Nebraska improved to 16-6 overall and 5-3 in Big 12 play, while Missouri fell to 8-13 overall and 1-7 in conference action. The Huskers’ also notched their fifth straight win over the Tigers in Columbia.
The Huskers trailed by 14 points with nine minutes left and by 10 points with 5:30 remaining in the game, but after starting the 0-for-10 from three-point range in the first 35:50, Nebraska buried three consecutive three-pointers, including a pair by Yvonne Turner, to surge to the lead.
“Any win in the Big 12 is a great win,” Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said. “We refused to give up and we battled hard on the road to find a way to win. That probably was not our best game of the season, but we kept fighting to the end and we came out on top.”
Senior forward Danielle Page joined Griffin in double figures with 13 points, while Turner scored all nine of her points in the second half after playing just two minutes in the first half following two quick fouls. Alyssa Hollins led MU with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Jessra Johnson added 17 points for the Tigers.
NU trailed 57-43 after back-to-back three-pointers by Hollins gave MU its biggest lead of the game. But the Huskers used an 8-2 surge capped by a Kaitlyn Burke jumper to trim the Tigers’ lead to eight points at 59-51 with 5:50 left.
After a Johnson jumper put the Tigers back up by double digits with 5:50 left, Griffin powered her way to the basket before Turner drilled a three-pointer to cut MU’s lead to five at 4:10.
Hollins answered with a two, before Burke buried a three and Turner followed with another three with 3:05 left to cut the Tiger lead to 63-62.
Nebraska got a stop and Griffin drove to the hole to give the Huskers their first lead of the game with 2:30 left. Shakara Jones, who finished with 12 points and six boards, answered with a two inside for the Tigers, before Griffin went strong to the hole again and scored to put NU back up 66-65 with two minutes left,.
Griffin then made the biggest defensive play of the game for NU to intercept a Tiger pass on the wing and throw it ahead to Turner for a layup to give NU a 68-65 edge.
The Huskers got another stop and Griffin hit a free throw to put NU up four with 41.4 seconds left. Johnson gave the Tigers hope with a basket to make it 69-67 with 20 seconds left, but Griffin and Dominique Kelley hit four straight free throws to seal the victory.
The Huskers finished the night hitting 43.6 percent (24-55) from the field, including 23.1 percent from long range, while connecting on 81.5 percent (22-27) of their free throws. NU committed a season-low 10 turnovers, including just three in the second half. NU hit 60.7 percent (17-28) of its shots in the second half, including 3-of-6 three-pointers. The Huskers hit their last nine field goal attempts of the game in the final 8:16, including all three of their three-point attempts. NU also forced 17 MU turnovers, including 10 in the second half.
Nebraska struggled through one of its worst offensive halves of the season to open the game, hitting just 25.9 percent (7-27) of its shots from the field, including 0-of-7 three-pointers. The Huskers did hit 9-of-11 free throws in the opening period to head to the locker room trailing, 31-23. Griffin led NU with eight points and six rebounds in the first half.
Missouri hit 41.9 percent (13-31) of its shots from the floor in the first half, including 2-of-6 three-pointers. Both teams committed seven first-half turnovers, while MU controlled the boards, 22-18. Johnson scored 11 first-half points and Hollins pitched in 10 points to lead the Tigers in the opening period.
Nebraska continues Big 12 road action on Wednesday night, when the Huskers travel to Boulder to take on Colorado. Tip-off against the Buffaloes at the CoorsEventsCenter is set for 9 p.m. central time with live regional television coverage on FSNRockyMountain. The game can also be heard on the Husker Sports Network, including a free audio stream on Huskers.com.
Official Basketball Box Score
Nebraska vs Missouri
2/3/08 3:05 p.m. at Mizzou Arena (Columbia, Mo.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: Nebraska 16-6, 5-3
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
23 GRIFFIN, Kelsey..... f 7-11 0-0 9-12 3 6 9 2 23 1 3 1 2 30
52 PAGE, Danielle...... f 4-7 0-0 5-5 0 2 2 4 13 1 2 2 1 31
22 TURNER, Yvonne...... g 3-6 2-4 1-2 0 0 0 4 9 2 0 0 1 17
24 KELLEY, Dominique... g 1-4 0-0 2-2 1 2 3 0 4 1 0 0 1 27
32 HESTER, Tay......... g 3-7 0-1 1-2 1 4 5 2 7 1 3 0 0 27
05 BURKE, Kaitlyn...... 2-5 1-4 0-0 0 3 3 0 5 0 2 0 1 23
11 NEALS, Nicole....... 1-4 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 14
13 KUHLMANN, Kala...... 1-2 0-0 2-2 1 0 1 0 4 1 0 0 0 12
40 MONTGOMERY, Cory.... 2-8 0-1 2-2 2 0 2 0 6 0 0 0 1 16
42 BOBER, Nikki........ 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
TEAM................ 2 3 5
Totals.............. 24-55 3-13 22-27 10 20 30 12 73 8 10 3 7 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 7-27 25.9% 2nd Half: 17-28 60.7% Game: 43.6% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 0-7 0.0% 2nd Half: 3-6 50.0% Game: 23.1% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 9-11 81.8% 2nd Half: 13-16 81.3% Game: 81.5% 4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: Missouri 8-13, 1-7
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
04 Johnson, Jessra..... f 7-19 0-4 3-5 1 3 4 4 17 2 3 0 0 34
44 Jones, Shakara...... f 6-14 0-0 0-0 3 3 6 4 12 1 3 0 0 36
10 Otote, Jasmyn....... g 4-9 0-0 0-0 5 1 6 1 8 0 2 0 1 23
11 Richbow, Toy........ g 2-3 0-1 2-2 0 1 1 3 6 3 3 0 4 27
12 Hollins, Alyssa..... g 8-14 4-7 0-0 2 6 8 3 20 2 2 1 1 38
03 Hanneman, Amanda.... 2-4 0-0 0-0 1 2 3 1 4 0 1 0 1 20
20 Pickens, K-Kay...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 5
23 Brown, RaeShara..... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 3 3 2 0 1 3 0 0 13
25 Wilson, Nicole...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
32 Scott, Marissa...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3
Team................ 3 2 5
Totals.............. 29-63 4-12 5-7 15 22 37 19 67 9 17 1 8 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 13-31 41.9% 2nd Half: 16-32 50.0% Game: 46.0% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-6 33.3% 2nd Half: 2-6 33.3% Game: 33.3% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 3-5 60.0% 2nd Half: 2-2 100 % Game: 71.4% 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Michael Price, Felicia Grinter, Dawn Marsh
Technical fouls: Nebraska-None. Missouri-None.
Attendance:
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Nebraska...................... 23 50 - 73
Missouri...................... 31 36 - 67
Points in the paint-NU 34,MU 38. Points off turnovers-NU 21,MU 13.
2nd chance points-NU 9,MU 19. Fast break points-NU 4,MU 4.
Bench points-NU 17,MU 4. Score tied-0 times. Lead changed-3 times.
Last FG-NU 2nd-01:19, MU 2nd-00:20.
Largest lead-NU by 6 2nd-00:02, MU by 14 2nd-14:24.