Defensive Huskers Face High-Scoring Cowboys

Husker Game Day

Nebraska Game Notes: Click Here

Oklahoma State Game Notes: Click Here

Big 12 Game Notes: Click Here

Game Date: Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009

Tipoff Time: 3:01 p.m. CT

Venue: Bob Devaney Sports Center (13,595)

TV: Big 12 Network ... Play-by-play: Brad Sham. Color: Paul Splittorff.

Radio: Husker Sports Radio Network stations ... Play-by-play: Kent Pavelka. Color: Matt Davison.

Internet Radio/Stats: Free on Huskers.com

Parking at the Devaney Center: Map (PDF)
Getting Around: Devaney Center Fan Guide (PDF)
Weather around Lincoln: Lincoln Weather
Ticket Office: BUY TICKETS NOW! Can't use your tickets on Sunday? Find out how to transfer them on-line now.

 

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Halftime Act: Quick Change (also will perform at Saturday night's NU-ISU women's basketball game)

 

 

Defensive Huskers Welcome High-Scoring Cowboys to Devaney Center

After pushing No. 6 Oklahoma to the final minutes on the road Wednesday, Nebraska returns to comfortable surroundings to start its only two-game home stand of the league slate by playing host to Oklahoma State at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday, Jan. 24.

 

The Huskers and Cowboys will tip off at 3:01 p.m. in a contest carried in select markets around the country on the Big 12 Network. Brad Sham (play by play) and Paul Splittorff (color) will call the action. In the state of Nebraska, the game will be seen on KLKN Channel 8 in Lincoln, KXVO Channel 15 in Omaha and KIIT Channel 30 in North Platte.

 

All of Nebraska’s games can also be heard on the IMG Husker Sports Radio Network, consisting of 31 stations around the state and around the world for free on the Internet at Huskers.com, the official Web site of Nebraska Athletics. Veteran play-by-play man Kent Pavelka calls the action and former Husker Matt Davison adds color commentary.

 

The Cornhuskers hope to have the same effort and execution Saturday as their first two home league contests. Nebraska has opened its home Big 12 schedule by holding two of the league’s top scoring teams (Missouri, Kansas State) to 51 points apiece while improving to 11-7 all-time at home in conference action under coach Doc Sadler.

 Nebraska has won five straight home Big 12 games dating to last season. Overall, NU has won seven of its last eight home contests vs. league teams with the only loss in overtime last year vs. Missouri.

 

 The Huskers have been impressive on the defensive end at the Devaney Center, holding each of their last four league opponents to 51 or fewer points at home.

 In what will make an intriguing matchup, the Cowboys are the nation’s fourth-highest scoring team and have been held under 70 points only once this year, while the Huskers entered the week ranked second nationally in scoring defense (currently 56.8 ppg).

 Fans could see some impressive 3-point shooting this weekend. NU's Paul Velander leads the Big 12 Conference in 3-point shooting (50.0 pct.) this week while the Cowboys’ Terrel Harris (44.8), James Anderson (44.4) and Keiton Page (44.3) all rank in the top five in the league. OSU's Obi Muonelo (43.0) also ranks eighth in the league. Velander is second nationally while Anderson is 12th and Muonelo is 20th.

 Junior guard Ryan Anderson started to see his shot fall at OU Wednesday, as he had a season-high 19 points. Anderson added seven boards and is currently 10th in Big 12-only games with 6.5 rpg.

 

Scouting the Cowboys

The Oklahoma State Cowboys enter this weekend’s matchup in Lincoln with an identical record as the Huskers at 12-5 overall, although the Cowboys are 1-2 in league action after already having a bye in their Big 12 schedule.

 

The league’s highest-scoring team has dropped a pair of high-flying affairs in the last week, falling in each game despite topping the 90-point plateau. OSU has reached at least 90 points seven times in the regular season and is currently averaging 86.0 points per game to rank fourth nationally in scoring offense.

OSU fell at home in its last contest on Wednesday, dropping a 97-95 contest against a surging Missouri squad that has not lost since being held to a season-low 51 points at Nebraska in each team’s Big 12 opener. OSU trailed by 20 points with less than 13 minutes remaining, but nearly pulled off the comeback.

The Cowboys had three players top the 20-point plateau in the contest vs. the Tigers. In contrast, Nebraska has had only three games all season with one player reaching 20 points.

The Cowboys have gotten most of their production out of their four-guard lineup this season. The bench (four players) and the lone forward starter (Malcoln Kirkland) combined for 14 points Wednesday, while the four guards combined to produce 81 points.

Obi Muonelo posted a team-high 22 points and 12 rebounds against Missouri, but was just 7-of-19 shooting from the field, including 3-of-9 from 3-point range. Byron Eaton and Terrel Harris also each posted 21 points on a combined 12-of-25 shooting. The Tigers’ pressure defense forced 19 OSU turnovers, with Eaton and Muonelo having six apiece.

James Anderson added 17 points for the Cowboys, hitting all eight shots from the free throw line while helping OSU knock down 31-of-39 (79.5 percent) at the stripe. Anderson leads the team with 17.9 points per game to rank fourth in the league in scoring this year. He is one of five Cowboys averaging double figures, along with Muonelo (15.9 ppg), Harris (14.7), Eaton (13.7) and Keiton Page (10.2). Muonelo has nearly averaged a double-double by ranking second in the league with 9.8 rebounds per game this year.

Harris, Anderson and Page each rank in the top three in the league in 3-point percentage, as OSU ranks second nationally in 3-point shooting by hitting 42.0 percent as a team. The Cowboys are also third in the country with 10.8 3-pointers per game. Defensively, OSU has allowed more than 74 points per game.

Oklahoma State is coached by Travis Ford (Kentucky, 1994). Ford is in his first season with the Cowboys, but is in his 12th year overall as a head coach. He spent three years at UMass before coming to Stillwater and now owns a 202-151 career record, including an 81-40 record at Division I.

Possible Oklahoma State Starting Lineup

Name                   Pos. Ht.   Wt.   Pt.   Rb.

Byron Eaton          G    5-11 210   13.7 5.8*

Terrel Harris          G    6-5  200   14.7 4.9

James Anderson     G    6-6  205   17.9 5.5

Obi Muonelo          G    6-5  215   15.9 9.8

Malcoln Kirkland     F     6-8  240   3.1   2.7

*assists per game

 

Nebraska-Oklahoma State Team Comparison

NU                      Stat                   OSU

66.6______ Points Per Game______ 86.0

56.8___ Points Allowed Per Game___ 74.1

45.9____ Field Goal Percentage____ 46.6

40.6_ Field Goal Percentage Defense_ 43.5

38.2___ 3pt Field Goal Percentage___ 42.0

31.2 3pt Field Goal Percentage Defense 34.2

67.1____ Free Throw Percentage____ 72.6

29.1_____ Rebounds Per Game_____ 37.4

-4.4_______ Rebound Margin______ -1.4

13.8______ Assists Per Game______ 14.2

11.6_____ Turnovers Per Game_____ 13.1

9.1_______ Steals Per Game_______ 8.3

1.9_______ Blocks Per Game_______ 3.1

17.8_______ Fouls Per Game______ 21.3

The Series vs. the Cowboys

Nebraska and Oklahoma State are meeting for the 114th time in series history. The Cornhuskers hold the upper hand in the series, taking a slim 62-51 advantage.

 

 The teams first met in 1926-27. Oklahoma State took that contest, 27-24, in Stillwater before the Huskers won on their home court later that season, 35-25.

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 Oklahoma State won six of the first seven matchups and had an early lead in the series before Nebraska won 15-of-18 matchups between 1966 and 1972.

 

 More recently, the Cowboys have won 22 of the last 33 matchups.

 

 The Huskers own a 35-13 advantage in Lincoln, including a 19-8 lead in games played in the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

 

 Nebraska has won each of the past two contests in Lincoln, and three of the last four at home. The 2004-05 contest marked the last time Nebraska defeated a top-10 team, as OSU came into the game ranked No. 4 nationally and fell to NU, 74-67.

 

 Last year, Oklahoma State and Nebraska came into the contest in Stillwater fighting to get into the NCAA Tournament talk. OSU walked away the winner, 77-63, as the Cowboys outdueled NU by hitting 52.4 percent from the floor compared to the Huskers’ 50.0 percent. Steve Harley and Aleks Maric had 17 points apiece while Ade Dagunduro added 12 for NU. OSU countered with Byron Eaton (20 points) and Marcus Dove (17 points) while Obi Muonelo helped the team hit 9-of-19 from 3-point range while scoring 12 points.

Quick Hits

Here is a quick look at the Huskers through games of Jan. 21:

 

Quick team notes

 The last time Nebraska opened a year with at least 13 wins in its first 18 games was 1995-96, when NU started 14-4 before finishing 21-14 while winning the National Invitation Tournament title.  

 The last time Nebraska opened a year with a 3-2 mark through five Big 12 Conference games was 1998-99. Nebraska lost its first two league games that year but then reeled off five straight wins to open 5-2. 

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 NU has the Big 12 Conference’s top scoring defense, allowing just 56.8 points per game. NU entered the week ranked second nationally in scoring defense.

 

 The Huskers held each of their first 16 opponents under 67 points, becoming the first NU squad since 1981-82 to accomplish the feat. The only team to top 70 points against the Huskers this year was No. 6/5 Oklahoma in Norman.

 The Huskers have held opponents in each of their last four home Big 12 Conference games to 51 or fewer points. Starting with Oklahoma last year, NU has allowed 45 points, 49 (Colorado), 51 (Missouri) and 51 (Kansas State).

 The Huskers have held Big 12 opponents to 65 or fewer points in 10 of NU’s last 13 games against league teams, including last year’s league tournament.

 Nebraska started the week ranked third nationally in turnover margin and is second in the Big 12 Conference at +6.4.

 The Huskers were also in the top 75 nationally entering the week in steals per game (16th), turnovers per game (18th), 3-point field-goal percentage (35th), 3-point field-goal percentage defense (41st), scoring margin (40th), assist-to-turnover ratio (44th), field-goal percentage defense (61st) and field-goal percentage (65th).

 NU tied the school record (originally set at Iowa State in 2002) with only three turnovers against Maryland Eastern Shore. NU also had just six turnovers against Saint Louis and seven at No. 6/5 Oklahoma.

 Nebraska snapped a streak of trailing on the boards in five straight games by gaining a 30-23 advantage on the glass against Maryland Eastern Shore.

 The Huskers are averaging 70.8 points per game at home while hitting 49.3 percent (300-of-608) from the field at the Devaney Center. On the road, NU has averaged 56.6 points on 37.8 percent (98-of-259) shooting.

 

Individual quick notes

 In Big 12-only games, junior guard Ryan Anderson ranks 10th in rebounding with 6.5 boards per game. He also is tied for third in steals with 1.8 per contest against league teams. Senior guard Paul Velander also ranks third in the league-only games by hitting 57.1 percent (12-of-21) from 3-point range.

 

 Ade Dagunduro is averaging a team-best 13.1 points per game over the last 10 contests. He has hit 63.3 percent from the field in that span.

 

 Earlier this season Dagunduro had hit 26-of-32 (81.3 percent) over a four-game span (ending with Maryland Eastern Shore).

 

 Dagunduro tied the school single-game record by hitting all nine field-goal attempts against UMBC, the second-best single-game mark in the league during the Big 12 era.

 Dagunduro had three straight made field goals to end the IPFW contest, connected on nine consecutive against UMBC and then knocked in his first three shots against South Carolina State to set the school record for consecutive made field goals at 15. Dagunduro surpassed Mikki Moore for the mark, as Moore had 13 straight made shots over three games in the 1997 NIT.

 Paul Velander has reached double figures just five times this season but is third on the team with 9.5 points per game. He ranked second nationally from 3-point range entering this week and has now hit 50.0 percent (48-of-96) to date to rank first in the Big 12 Conference.

 Also entering the week, Velander ranked 44th nationally in 3-pointers per game (2.9).

 Because of his quick release, Velander is averaging a 3-pointer every 8.8 minutes he is on the court (48 3s in 422 minutes), but has had a turnover only every 84.4 minutes (5 TOs in 422 minutes).

 Velander has hit at least three 3-pointers in 12-of-17 games this season. Dating to last year, he has hit at least three treys in 17 of his last 24 games. Before that, he had hit at least three 3-pointers in a game just six times in his first 51 career games.

 Senior guard Steve Harley leads the team with 12.2 points per game, and scored in double figures in 11 straight games to end non-conference play. Harley has found a tough stretch to open league play, hitting just 29.8 percent (14-of-47) to open the conference slate while averaging 8.0 points per game.

 Sek Henry has been proficient with the basketball on the year, hitting 49.6 percent from the field, including a solid 40.0 percent from 3-point range.

 Henry has scored in double figures nine times in 17 games this season, after scoring in double figures just nine times in the first 64 games of his career.

 Sophomore Cookie Miller posted season highs in points in consecutive games, gaining 11 points at Iowa State and 15 points against Kansas State. He hit 9-of-14 shots from the floor, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, in the two games with five assists.

 Miller leads the team with 67 assists after posting a season-high seven assists at No. 6/5 Oklahoma. He is looking to become the first Husker to lead NU in assists as a freshman and sophomore since Tyronn Lue in 1995-96 and 1996-97.

 Miller’s seven assists at Oklahoma were one less than his total (8) over the first three Big 12 Conference games.

Sadler Approaches Plateau

Coach Doc Sadler has been known to get everything possible out of his players and teams, as his work ethic has carried over to the court. In the past two seasons, Sadler’s effort pushed the Huskers to 17 and 20 wins, with last year’s first-round NIT victory giving the Huskers just the 12th 20-win season in the 112-year history of the program.

 

Behind his solid guidance, the Huskers have won 49 games in the past two-plus seasons. Should the Huskers earn a victory on Saturday against Oklahoma State, it will mark Sadler’s 50th victory in just 82 games on the Nebraska sideline. Only two coaches in Husker history have recorded 50 wins faster than 82 games, and both of those men coached at Nebraska before World War I.

 

Coaches to Win 50 Games at Nebraska

Coach                        Record at 50 wins

Doc Sadler.................................... ???

Barry Collier............... 50-57 (107 games)

Danny Nee................... 50-42 (92 games)

Moe Iba....................... 50-32 (82 games)

Joe Cipriano................ 50-44 (94 games)

Jerry Bush.................. 50-66 (116 games)

Harry Good.................. 50-42 (92 games)

Charles T. Black.......... 50-55 (105 games)

R.G. Clapp................... 50-19 (69 games)

E.O. Stiehm................... 50-9 (59 games)

Diaz Joins Huskers

After an entry process that took longer than anticipated, Nebraska finally got some good news regarding freshman center Brian Diaz. The 6-11, 235-pounder was admitted to the University of Nebraska and was enrolled in classes on Jan. 17.

 

He is immediately eligible to play (he was originally cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse in September 2008) as a true freshman this season. Diaz suited up against No. 6/5 Oklahoma but did not play.

Diaz, whose given name is Jorge Brian Diaz, will add to a Nebraska lineup that was one of the smallest in the nation. Before Diaz joined the squad, the Huskers had just one eligible scholarship player who stood taller than 6-6 (Chris Balham, 6-8; 10.0 minutes per game).

The Huskers could have a dramatically different look next season. Not only will the Huskers have the 6-11 Diaz, but 6-11 Christopher Niemann is sitting out this year under an NCAA eligibility ruling and NU has signed 6-9 Brandon Ubel for next season as well.

Huskers Hit Marks vs. KSU

Just three days after struggling on the road at Iowa State, the Cornhuskers hit on all cylinders on Jan. 17 against Kansas State, running past the Wildcats by a 73-51 margin.

 Nebraska hit 50.0 percent from the floor, the fifth time in nine Big 12 Conference regular-season games NU hit at least 50 percent from the floor. The Huskers had hit just 36 percent from the field in their first two league games this year.

 NU hit 10 3-pointers against the Wildcats, the Huskers’ most treys against a league team since March 8, 2007, when Nebraska hit 13 against Oklahoma State.

 The Huskers outscored KSU by 22 points, the largest margin of victory over a Big 12 Conference opponent during the coach Doc Sadler era. The last time NU posted a larger margin of victory over a league foe was 2003-04, when the Huskers defeated No. 25 Texas Tech 72-44 in Lincoln.

Turning Teams Over

Nebraska will try to turn up the defensive pressure at times this season, especially while playing with a heavily guard-oriented lineup, including many sets with five guards on the floor at once. 

That strong defensive push was evident in NU’s opener as they forced 25 San Jose State turnovers. Spartans’ point guard Justin Graham was frustrated into 10 turnovers while going 0-of-5 from the floor in 33 minutes of action.

 The 25 turnovers Nebraska forced in the season opener against San Jose State were the second-highest total under Coach Doc Sadler. The most turnovers a Husker squad has forced in Sadler’s tenure is 26 last season against North Carolina Central.

 NU also forced a season-high tying 25 turnovers against Kansas State on Jan. 17.

 The Huskers have now forced 306 turnovers through 17 games, while allowing teams to record just 182 assists on 324 baskets.

 The Huskers have forced at least 20 turnovers in seven games this year (25 vs. San Jose State;  23 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff; 24 vs. Creighton; 24 at Oregon State; 24 vs. IPFW; 21 vs. South Carolina State; 25 vs Kansas State). Last year, the Huskers forced 20 turnovers in a game six times all season.

The 24 turnovers forced at Oregon State are the most by a Husker opponent away from Lincoln since Texas Tech had 26 turnovers against Nebraska in the first round of the 1999 Big 12 Championship.

 Nebraska posted 16 steals in the defensive effort against San Jose State, the most by the Huskers under Sadler. The previous best under Sadler was 15 steals vs. North Texas in 2006.

 The Huskers have had double-figure steals six times this season and at least eight steals in 14 games this season.

 Eight Huskers have recorded a steal this year, including seven averaging at least 1.0 steal per game.

 The most steals in a game by a single Husker this season is five by junior guard Ryan Anderson against Kansas State on Jan. 17. Four other players have recorded five games with four steals.

The defensive pressure has helped Nebraska to a 342-185 advantage in points off turnovers this season.

Handling with Care

Nebraska coach Doc Sadler has preached that the Huskers need to be efficient within their offense and not give away easy points. That philosophy includes taking care of the ball, something the Huskers have succeeded in doing well early in the season.

 Nebraska has averaged just 11.6 turnovers per game this season to rank 18th nationally entering the week and first in the Big 12 Conference. NU is the only team in the league averaging fewer than 12.2 turnovers per game.

 The Huskers entered the week ranked third nationally in turnover margin, and currently have a +6.4 margin to rank second in the Big 12 Conference.

 The Huskers tied the school record by committing just three turnovers against Maryland Eastern Shore. NU equaled the team mark set in 2002 at Iowa State. Nebraska had just one turnover in the first half against Maryland Eastern Shore, and two miscues following the break.

 Nebraska posted just six turnovers against Saint Louis, tying the previous low mark for miscues in Sadler’s first three years. NU also had just six turnovers against Colorado in 2007.

 Nebraska had only three turnovers in the first half against Alabama State. NU also had two turnovers in the second half against Saint Louis and three in the first half at No. 6/5 Oklahoma, giving the Huskers five halves this season (including each half vs. UMES) with three or fewer turnovers.

 Nebraska posted just seven turnovers at No. 6/5 Oklahoma, marking the ninth time under coach Doc Sadler that NU had 11 or fewer turnovers in a road game, and second time this season (also at Oregon State, 11 TO).

Bombs Away

Nebraska has been strong from outside the arc during coach Doc Sadler’s tenure, including this year. The Huskers are among the national leaders, hitting 38.2 percent from long range. Last season, Nebraska hit 34.2 percent from beyond the arc.

 Only two Huskers are averaging more than one 3-pointer per game, Paul Velander (2.8) and Sek Henry (1.1), although the team is averaging 7.1 treys per game.

 Velander has been more effective than ever despite stepping back further to shoot. He is hitting 50.0 percent (48-of-96) from beyond the arc to rank second in the Big 12 Conference and second nationally entering the week.

 Nebraska has hit better than 40 percent from the 3-point line as a team five times this season, including a season-high 56.0 percent against Alabama State.

 The Huskers have hit 10 or more 3-pointers three times this season, including against Alabama State (14), Florida A&M (10) and Kansas State (10).

 NU has posted at least eight 3-pointers in a game eight times.

 Nebraska hit an impressive 14-of-25 (56.0 percent) from beyond the arc against the Alabama State. NU “only” connected on 51.7 percent (30-of-58) from the floor overall.

 The 14 3-pointers were the most by the Huskers since hitting 15 against Miami on the road in the 2006-07 season. The school record is 18 3-pointers against No. 1 Kansas in 2002.

 Six Huskers hit from outside the arc, including four players with three 3-pointers apiece. Sek Henry led the way with a perfect 3-for-3 night beyond the arc while Ryan Anderson (3-of-4), Steve Harley (3-of-5) and Paul Velander (3-of-6) each had three treys apiece.

 Amazingly when all the 3s were falling against Alabama State, Velander attempted his first two shots inside the arc, missing both. Velander’s first 26 attempts from the field this season were 3-point attempts until a missed jumper in the first half against Alabama State.

 Nebraska had another game where all the shots were falling as the Huskers hit 10-of-18 (55.6 percent) against Kansas State on Jan. 17. Velander hit 6-of-10 by himself, while Cookie Miller connected on all three of his attempts. NU hit 50.0 percent from the field in the game.

Defense Among NCAA’s Best

Nebraska is among the Big 12 and national leaders in several defensive categories in 2008-09.

 Nebraska was second in the country entering the week and currently leads the Big 12 in scoring defense at 56.8 ppg. No other team in the league is holding opponents below 61 points per game as Texas ranks second at 61.2 points per contest.

 Nebraska ranked 61st nationally entering the week and is currently seventh in the conference in field-goal percentage defense. NU has held eight opponents below 40 percent shooting, and has allowed just one team to hit over 47 percent from the field this season.

 The Huskers have allowed teams to hit just 31.2 percent from 3-point range, and ranked 41st nationally entering the week. NU has held eight teams under 25.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc this season.

 The Huskers did not allow any of their first 16 opponents to score more than 66 points in a game. It was the longest streak to open a season without allowing an opponent to reach 67 points since the 1981-82 NU squad did it through the first 18 games of the year.

 Only one other time (2003-04) in the 3-point era before this season has Nebraska held every non-conference team below 67 points.

 Nebraska held each of its first six opponents to fewer than 58 points. The last time NU held opponents to less than 60 points over the first six games of the year was the start of the 1943-44 season.

 The last time Nebraska held six consecutive opponents to fewer than 60 points in any stretch was the seven contests between games 12 through 18 of the 1981-82 season. That was a streak of 820 games before it was matched starting this season.

 The Huskers have allowed 965 points in the first 17 games of the year.Nebraska has held its first 17 opponents to fewer than 1,000 combined points to open a season just 11 times since 1947-48.

 

NU’s Fewest Points Allowed in First 17 Games

(Since 1947-48, beginning of Big Seven Conference)

       Year                           Points (Ppg)

1948-49................................ 878 (51.6)

1981-82................................ 892 (52.4)

1949-50................................ 899 (52.9)

1947-48................................ 915 (53.8)

2008-09................................. 965 (56.8)

2003-04................................ 975 (57.4)

1958-59................................ 981 (57.7)

1982-83................................ 983 (57.8)

1950-51................................ 983 (57.8)

2007-08................................ 985 (57.9)

 Nebraska has forced at least 20 turnovers  in a game seven times this season, including once in Big 12 Conference play (Kansas State, 25).

 Nebraska held TCU to just 10 field goals in NU’s first road game of the season. The 10 field goals allowed were the second-lowest by a Husker squad under Sadler, trailing only the nine baskets allowed at home by North Carolina Central last season.

 The 10 field goals by the Horned Frogs were the fewest by an opponent away from the Devaney Center since Centenary had 10 baskets to open the 2002-03 season at the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska.

 The 50 points scored by TCU marked the fewest Nebraska has allowed on the road since NU held Kansas State to 42 points in the first league road game of the 2005-06 campaign.

 TCU's 50 points were also the fewest Nebraska has allowed in a true road opener since giving up just 49 points at Minnesota in the 1977-78 season.

Keeping Opponents in Line

While the 3-point line moved back one foot ? from 19-9 to 20-9 ?  for the first time in men’s college basketball this season, Nebraska’s
3-point defense has improved dramatically with the change in the line.

 Nebraska’s 3-point defense this year has been solid as opponents have hit just 31.2 percent from beyond the arc. Last season, opponents hit 36.4 percent on the year.

 Nebraska’s 3-point percentage defense was 41st nationally entering the week and is currently second in the Big 12 Conference.

 Ten of Nebraska’s 17 opponents have been held to five or fewer 3-pointers in a game, including five with three or fewer.

On the Glass

The Huskers will put a small lineup on the floor just about every night this season, giving coach Doc Sadler reason to be interested in Nebraska’s rebounding, especially on the defensive end. All of NU’s guards will need to be capable rebounders this season to keep the opposing team from getting easy baskets on second chances.

 Through 17 games, Nebraska trails on the glass by over four rebounds per game
(-4.4 rpg, 33.5 to 29.1).

 Nebraska has trailed on the glass in 12 contests this season, including five straight games before outrebounding Maryland Eastern Shore by seven on Jan. 3.

 NU has trailed in each of its four Big 12 contests, by margins of -5, -14, -11 and
-3. Nebraska’s 36 rebounds against No. 6/5 Oklahoma were its third-highest total of the season.

 The Huskers posted 11 offensive rebounds in each of the last three non-league games (33 total) after recording 27 offensive boards in the previous five games combined. NU has had at least 10 offensive rebounds in a game five times, most recently against No. 6/5 Oklahoma.

Dagunduro Getting on Track

After a sluggish start to the season, senior guard Ade Dagunduro has begun to turn up the intensity on both ends of the court.

One of the most athletic players in the Big 12 Conference, Dagunduro has recently brought his scoring average up to rank second on the squad with 10.6 points per game. He has scored in double figures in seven of the past 10 games, including at least 18 points three times.

 Dagunduro started the season averaging just 4.8 points per game in three contests against San Jose State, TCU and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

 After posting 11 combined points against Alabama State and Arizona State, Dagunduro has averaged a team-best 13.1 ppg on 63.3 percent shooting (50-of-79) over the past 10 games.

 Dagunduro set a career high by scoring in double figures in five straight games (Oregon State, IPFW, UMBC, South Carolina State, Maryland Eastern Shore).

 The senior posted a career high in the Big 12 opener, gaining a game-high 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting while helping Nebraska to its third league-opening win in 13 years. He also had five rebounds and three steals in 29 minutes.

 In the last 10 games, Dagunduro has also averaged 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

 Possibly Dagunduro’s biggest points of the non-conference season came in the final seconds of a comeback victory over Creighton. The Inglewood, Calif., native got free on the right block when his defender hedged to the middle of the lane as Steve Harley drove to the basket. Harley made a nice wrap-around pass to Dagunduro, whose uncontested layup with 2.7 seconds remaining was the game-winner.

 Dagunduro’s slow start this season is the exact opposite of last year, which could be a good thing for the Huskers in the long run. Dagunduro started 2007-08 on fire, averaging 11.8 points per game in non-conference play while hitting 54.8 percent from the field. In league action, he gained 5.8 points per game while knocking down just 40.4 percent from the field.

Record Performance

Senior guard Ade Dagunduro had what the Huskers hope to be a breakout game against UMBC as he posted 19 points in 27 minutes of action. He topped his previous career best of 17 points last year in an overtime road loss to Western Kentucky.

Dagunduro scored 15 of his 19 points against UMBC in the second half and added three rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals for an impressive all-around performance.

But the most impressive aspect of Dagunduro’s line on the stat sheet was the field-goal column. He finished the game hitting 9-of-9 attempts from the field, helping Nebraska hit 48.9 percent from the floor.

 Dagunduro tied the school single-game record by hitting all nine of his attempts from the field against UMBC.

 Dagunduro became the fifth Husker in history to connect on nine consecutive shots from the floor in a single game. It was the fourth time the feat happened by a Husker against a non-conference opponent.

Consecutive Field Goals in Game (NU Record)

FG   Name (Opponent)                       Date   

9     Ade Dagunduro (UMBC)        12/23/08

9     Mikki Moore (at Nevada)         3/19/97

9     Venson Hamilton (Iowa State)    2/3/96

9     Dave Hoppen (Southern Illinois) 11/26/85

9     Chuck Jura (Iowa)                 12/5/70

 Dagunduro’s mark was originally believed to be a single-game conference record, however, since then it has been established that Colorado center David Harrison had a 10-for-10 effort versus Baylor in 2004. It is believed that Dagunduro’s mark ties for second place in the Big 12 record book.

 Dagunduro extended his streak of consecutive made field-goal attempts to 15 over three straight games, setting a new Nebraska record. He had three made shots to end the game against IPFW, added nine against UMBC and then hit his first three against South Carolina State to surpass Mikki Moore, who held the previous NU record by hitting 13 straight shots in three games in 1997.

Consecutive FG in Multiple Games (NU Record)

FG   Name                       Season, games

15    Ade Dagunduro           2008-09, three   

13    Mikki Moore                1996-97, three

 Dagunduro’s streak of 15 straight made shots fell two shy of the old Big 12 record. His streak is second in the league this season behind Baylor’s Quincy Acy, who set the new Big 12 record by making his first 20 attempts from the field to start his career.

Harley is Leader of the Pack

Guard Steve Harley came on strong at the end of last season when he was named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team by the league's sportswriters for his play in league action.

 

Over the final 12 league games and the postseason, Harley assumed a lead role in the Husker offense, ranking second with 11.0 points per game while hitting 45 percent from the floor including nearly 43 percent from 3-point range. He shot better than 78 percent from the charity stripe in that stretch.

 

This year he has picked up where he left off as he tries to guide the Huskers to their second straight postseason berth.

 Harley is currently leading the team with 12.2 points per game despite averaging just 8.0 points ? fifth on team ? over the first four league games.

 Despite struggling to score in NU’s three Big 12 games this year, Harley has still come up big for the Huskers. He grabbed five rebounds three times in the first four contests, and averaged more than two assists per game. He also made a tremendous hustle play against Missouri, tossing a blocked shot by Ade Dagunduro back up court while diving out of bounds on MU’s baseline. Dagunduro eventually tracked down Harley’s toss and scored at the other end.

 Harley set a career high with 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting against IPFW. It was his second career 20-point performance and the Huskers' first 20-point game this year.

 He has been one of the most aggressive Huskers getting to the basket, as he is second on the team with 61 trips to the free throw line (41 made free throws, 67.2 percent). Harley is also averaging 3.6 rebounds and is second on the team with 40 assists and tied for second with 23 steals.

 Harley has tied his career high for rebounds twice this season, posting six against San Jose State in the season opener and again in the come-from-behind win over Creighton. He has had at least four rebounds in a game seven times this season.

 Harley had just one assist against Creighton, but it was the biggest one of the game. With the contest tied at 52-52, Nebraska had the ball with the shot clock off. Coach Doc Sadler drew up a play for Harley as the first scoring option. As he drove the lane to the basket, CU hedged to the middle and Harley made a nice wrap-around pass to Ade Dagunduro, who had an uncontested layup for the game-winning basket with 2.7 seconds remaining.

 Harley is one of only two players (also Cookie Miller) averaging more than 26 minutes per game. Harley has played 31.2 minutes per contest this season, including a career-high 40 minutes against UMBC.

Hot Henry

After a strong offseason, junior guard Sek Henry started out on a tear while helping the Huskers win six straight games to open a season for just the second time in the Big 12 era.

Henry has been more consistent on offense through the first 17 games of this season than at any point in his career. He is one of four players averaging at least 9.5 ppg, and has recorded nine double-figure scoring games.

 Henry posted 19 points against each Saint Louis and Florida A&M, one off his career high and the most points he has scored at home in the Devaney Center. He nearly matched the mark with 18 points vs. South Carolina State.

 Henry added 13 points against Missouri to help Nebraska to a win in the Big 12 opener. It was the second-highest point total of his career against a Big 12 squad, trailing the 14 points he scored last season at Missouri.

 He has scored in double figures nine times in 17 games this season, after scoring in double figures just nine times in the first 64 games of his career. Henry posted double figures five times last year and four times as a freshman.

 Henry has hit 56-of-113 shots (49.6 percent) from the field, including 18-of-45 (40.0 percent) from 3-point range. His career averages entering this season were 36.7 percent shooting and 26.4 percent from beyond the arc.

 Henry has twice this season tied his career high with four steals in a game. He is currently fourth on the team with 21 steals through 17 contests.

 Being aggressive is in Henry’s nature on the court and it is showing this year. Although he has hit just 66.0 percent from the free throw line, he has done a nice job getting to the stripe as he is one of only three Huskers with at least 30 attempts from the line (31-of-47).

 Henry raised his free throw average significantly of late, hitting 22 of his last 27 (81.5 percent) attempts over the past seven games. Henry hit an impressive 7-of-8 from the line against UMBC after entering the game hitting 45.0 percent in his first nine games this year, and followed with a 7-of-9 effort against SCSU.

Energy Guy

Following the season-opening contest against San Jose State, Coach Doc Sadler praised several players for their energy and hustle, especially the ones off the bench.

Leading the way that day was redshirt freshman Brandon Richardson, who posted six points, three rebounds, an assist and four steals in 16 minutes in his career debut.

Richardson’s numbers did not tell the whole story as he made several dives to the floor and other hustle plays to ignite NU in the second half after SJSU cut the lead from 18 points to five. His steal off an inbounds and three-point play turned the game around, helping NU score 10 points in less than a minute to pull away for good.

Following another strong performance in Nebraska’s game against IPFW, Sadler said:

“Brandon Richardson makes plays that don’t show up on the box score. When we went to the 1-3-1 for the first time (that night), he made two huge hustle plays. He does things that might give you three or four more possessions that you wouldn’t otherwise get in a game.”

 Against UAPB, he scored a season-high nine points and had two assists without a turnover in 23 minutes of action.

 He posted 13 points over the past two games of non-conference play after scoring just 12 points in his previous eight games.

 Richardson hit 3-of-6 from the field against Maryland Eastern Shore and knocked down 2-of-3 vs. Florida A&M. The recent surge (before sitting out the first four games of Big 12 Conference action with an injury) has come as a direct result of the coaching staff telling Richardson to focus on being more aggressive on the offensive end.

 He has posted at least three steals in a game three times this year, and is sixth on the team with 17 steals. He needs seven steals to move onto the Nebraska freshman top-10 list.

Energy Guy . . . too

Along with Richardson, senior Paul Velander has also been praised by Sadler for his energy coming off the bench, including following the Saint Louis game. In his postgame press conference that night, Sadler said:

“We’ve got to get the rest of the team to make effort plays like Paul Velander. There’s not a player in the country who makes more effort plays than that guy.”

 Velander has come off the bench to hit 48
3-pointers in 17 games, including 12 games with at least three treys apiece. He is third on the team in scoring at 9.5 points per game.

 Velander leads the Big 12 Conference and is second nationally this week in 3-point percentage, as he has hit 50.0 percent from behind the arc.

 Velander posted as career-high tying 20 points behind a career-best six 3-pointers against Kansas State on Jan. 17.

 He has hit double figures five times this season, including three of the last four games of the non-conference slate.

 He also made his first 2-point basket of the year against UMBC and now has hit just 2-of-9 from inside the arc.

 Velander leads the team with 16 charges taken, including three against each San Jose State and Saint Louis. If the statistic were kept nationally, it’s possible that Velander would lead the nation in charges taken.

 Velander’s effort finally rubbed off on his teams against IPFW. NU had six charges taken, each by a different individual, including one by Velander. As a team, NU has taken 30 charges in 17 games.

Balham Making Most of Minutes

Junior forward Chris Balham has been limited by chronic knee problems throughout his career and while he has not been able to practice or get on the court in games as much as he and coach Doc Sadler would like, Balham has made the most of his court time lately.

 Over the past six games, Balham has averaged 14.1 minutes per game, with a total of 85 minutes of action. He saw 46 minutes of action combined in his first seven games of the year, with a high of 10 minutes at TCU. He also missed three games this year because of chronic knee issues.

 He has played 18, 14, 17, 14, 10 and 12 minutes, respectively, over the past six contests, the first time in his career he has gained at least 10 minutes in more than three straight games.

 Balham tied his career high with eight rebounds against Florida A&M. Of his 27 rebounds in the past seven games, 15 are offensive boards. He helped NU average 11 offensive boards per game over the final three non-conference contests of the year. NU also posted 10 offensive boards at No. 6/5 Oklahoma.

 Balham scored a season-high seven points in consecutive games near the end of the non-conference slate this season. The only time Balham has scored more than seven points (his totals against SCSU and UMES) in a game was a career-high 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting in a road victory over No. 22 Texas A&M last season.

Miller Ready to Roll

Cookie Miller was the only true freshman to play for the Huskers last year when he posted near-record numbers for assists (109) and steals (58). This year, he is trying to take it a step higher as one of the top returning point guards in the Big 12 Conference.

Miller was sixth in the league in assists (3.6 apg) last year and the only freshman in the top 10 for assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7). He was fourth in the Big 12 for steals (1.93), and led the league in Big 12-only contests (2.0 spg).

 This season, Miller leads NU with 67 assists and leads the team with 24 steals. He is one of seven Huskers with at least 17 steals.

 Miller has 34 turnovers to go with his 67 assists. After posting a season-high five miscues with one assist against Kansas State on Jan. 17, Miller rebounded to have his best game distributing the ball at Oklahoma. He had seven assists with just two turnovers against the No. 6/5 Sooners on the road.

 Miller has had at least four assists in 11 contests this season, including five straight games to end non-conference play. Miller’s season high is seven assists at No. 6/5 Oklahoma, and has had four assists on four occasions this year.

 Miller was efficient in leading the Huskers to a win in the Big 12 opener against Missouri. He had three assists against two turnovers in 36 minutes, but helped NU continually break the Tigers’ press. His defense also helped NU force MU into 16 turnovers with only 10 assists after the Tigers came into the game ranked third nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio. Miller also drew three charges, all in the first half, against MU.

 Miller had one of his better offensive games of the season against Iowa State, posting 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting while adding four assists and three steals in 30 minutes.

 He also had a solid game against Alabama State, scoring nine points with six assists and four rebounds in 25 minutes. It was the first game he started this season.

 Miller came off the bench to efficiently guide the Husker offense in the second half of a comeback victory over Creighton. Miller had five assists and a steal in 15 minutes in the second half as Nebraska came back from 13 points down to earn the win. He finished with a season high in rebounds (4) while adding six assists and two steals in the win.

 Miller also sparked a struggling Husker squad in the second half against IPFW. He came off the bench and posted six assists, including four in the second half, with four steals to lead the Huskers to a come-from-behind victory.

 Former Husker great Cookie Belcher owns the Nebraska freshman record for steals with 87 and holds the NU and Big 12 Conference record with 353 steals in his career. Miller is trying to join Belcher and Erick Strickland as the only Huskers with 100 steals at the end of their sophomore seasons. Belcher had 162 in his first two years while Strickland had 107.

Nebraska Career Steals (since 1978)

1.     Cookie Belcher (1997-2001)........ 353

2.     Erick Strickland (1993-96)........... 257

3.     Venson Hamilton (1996-99)......... 186

4.     Clifford Scales (1988-91)............ 177

5.     Brian Carr (1984-87).................. 159

6.     Tyronn Lue (1996-98)................ 154

7.     Larry Florence (1997-2000)......... 137

8.     Jaron Boone (1993-96).............. 131

9.     Eric Johnson (1988-89)............. 128

       Jack Moore (1979-82)................ 128

--     Ryan Anderson (2007-pres.)........... 95

--     Cookie Miller (2008-pres.).............. 82

--     Sek Henry (2007-pres.)................. 73

 

Velander Reaches Top 10

Senior guard Paul Velander is the second Husker this season to place his name on the top-10 list, following junior guard Ryan Anderson who needed just seven treys entering the year.

 Velander hit 1-of-2 from long range in the Big 12 opener against Missouri to match Ray Richardson’s mark for 10th place. He now ranks ninth in Nebraska history with 116 treys. He moved past teammate Ryan Anderson as Velander posted six 3-pointers against Kansas State on Jan. 17.

 Velander has hit at least three 3-pointers in 12 games this year, with a career-high six against Kansas State (6-of-10 overall).

 Velander’s 50.0 percent accuracy from beyond the arc is currently best in the Big 12 Conference.

 He leads the team with 48 3-pointers in 17 games, ranking 44th nationally in 3s per game entering the week. He entered the week ranked second nationally in 3-point percentage.

 

Nebraska Career 3-Point Field Goals Made

1.     Cary Cochran (1999-2002).......... 268

2.     Eric Piatkowski (1991-94)........... 202

3.     Jaron Boone (1993-96).............. 181

4.     Erick Strickland (1993-96)........... 179

5.     Brian Conklin (2001-04) ............ 176

6.     Cookie Belcher (1997-2001)........ 146

7.     Tyronn Lue (1996-98)................ 145

8.     Joe McCray (2005-06)................ 117

9.     Paul Velander (2006-pres.)........... 116

10.   Ryan Anderson (2007-pres.)......... 112

Hitting From Long Range

At 6-4, guard Ryan Anderson may be a little undersized to play in the front court, but he is one of the biggest players on the court when he steps outside the 3-point line. Anderson has made a living with the long ball, hitting 112 treys in his career to rank 10th in NU history.

 Despite being one of the best 3-point shooters in the league the past two years, Anderson has struggled this season. He has hit just 14-of-47 attempts (29.8 percent) after coming into the season hitting better than 39 percent in his career.

 Anderson’s best long-range game this year came with four 3-pointers at No. 6/5 Oklahoma, marking the 15th time in his career he has had at least three treys in a single game. He also had three treys earlier this season against Alabama State.

 He went 3-of-3 from the field against Florida A&M but did not attempt a 3-pointer. It was the first time in 30 games, and only the fifth game in his career, that he did not attempt a 3-pointer.

 Anderson is the only Husker ever to post at least 48 treys in each of his first two years at Nebraska.

 Anderson ranks second on the NU freshman list with 48 3-pointers in 2006-07 and last year posted 50 treys to rank third on the Huskers' sophomore chart.

 Only Nebraska's all-time 3-point leader, Cary Cochran, made more shots from outside the arc by the end of his sophomore season, as Cochran had 101 through two years.

Anderson, Velander Among Huskers’ Most Accurate Duos

Senior guard Paul Velander has proven to be one of the most accurate long-range shooters in Nebraska history.

The only fifth-year player for the Huskers this season, Velander ranks third in NU history for 3-point field-goal percentage at 42.2 percent (116-of-275) while coming off the bench in 76-of-77 contests.

He leads the team with 48 3-pointers this season, including three or more 3s in each of 12 games this year. With Anderson and Velander, four of the players in the NU top 10 have played under Coach Doc Sadler.

 

3-Point FG Pct. (min. 90 att.)    

                                     3FG  3PA  Pct.

1.  Brian Conklin (2001-04)   176   407  .432

2.  Cary Cochran (1999-2002) 268  630  .425

3.  Paul Velander (2006-pres.) 116   275  .422

4.  Jay-R Strowbridge (2007-08) 50 122  .410

5.  Clifford Scales (1988-91)   45   110  .409

6.  Henry T. Buchanan (1987-88)    67  165    .406

7.  Chris Cresswell (1990-92) 103   261  .395

8.  Marcus Perry (2006-07)     98   249  .394

9.  Ryan Anderson (2007-pres.) 112  294  .381

10. Ray Richardson (1989-90) 105  278  .378

McCray Looking for More

Guard Toney McCray started the season out strong, scoring game highs with 17 points and nine rebounds in the season opener against San Jose State. McCray hit 6-of-15 shots from the floor in his career debut against the Spartans and just missed becoming the first Husker freshman to record a double-double in his first career game since Aleks Maric accomplished the feat in 2004-05.

After redshirting last year, he is showing the ability Coach Doc Sadler has seen in practice, which translated into three starts at the end of non-conference play.

 McCray ranks fifth on the team with 6.8 points per game. He is tied for fourth on the team with 3.4 rebounds per game and leads the squad with 11 blocked shots.

 McCray hit three 3-pointers against IPFW (3-of-5) after connecting on just 3-of-10
3-point attempts in his first eight games. Overall, he is 8-of-21 this season from long range.

 McCray had nine points and five boards in the first road game of his career at TCU. He has shown he likes playing on the road as he added 13 points, seven rebounds and two steals at Oregon State.

 In his first game in front of a big crowd, McCray settled in nicely, posting six points, five rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals in 23 minutes off the bench against Creighton.

 In his first Big 12 Conference tilt, McCray posted five points with one rebound in five minutes. His 3-pointer late in the second half was a needed offensive spark as the Huskers held on for a victory over Missouri.

 In Big 12 Conference play, McCray has hit 56.3 percent (9-of-16) from the floor while averaging 5.0 points per game.

Huskers Roll up Wins At Home

When coach Doc Sadler took over the program before the 2006-07 season, Nebraska made winning at home a priority especially in the non-conference season.

 

When adding in the Huskers’ home game against Oregon at the Qwest Center in Omaha (considered a home contest due to RPI standards by NCAA), the Huskers won 31 straight games against non-conference teams, including 26 straight under Sadler, to tie the school record with 31 consecutive non-conference home wins. The streak ranked eighth nationally until NU fell to UMBC on Dec. 23.

 Following the win over Florida A&M to end the non-conference schedule, Nebraska is now 29-1 under Coach Doc Sadler at home against non-conference opponents.

 Before falling to UMBC, Nebraska’s last home loss to a non-conference team came on Dec. 3, 2005 against UAB in a 73-72 setback.

 The Huskers are 42-2 since last suffering consecutive home non-conference losses in 2004-05.

 During the school-record tying 31-game home non-conference win streak, NU had one game decided by five or fewer points (two-point win over Creighton this year) and one other decided in overtime (win over Oregon at Qwest Center).

NU’s Longest Non-Conference Home Win Streaks

Games      Dates                                 

31            Dec. 8, 2005 to Dec. 20, 2008

31            Jan. 18, 1963 to Dec. 1, 1971

30            Dec. 30, 1989 to Nov. 27, 1994

16            Dec. 3, 1993 to March 16, 1995

15            Dec. 31, 2002 to Dec. 6, 2004

15            Dec. 23, 1985 to Dec. 4, 1987

14            Dec. 11, 1971 to Dec. 14, 1974

14            Dec. 11, 1948 to Dec. 1, 1951

 Overall, the Huskers are 39-8 in all games (non-conference and Big 12) at the Devaney Center under Sadler.

Comeback Kids

Nebraska not only picked up its second straight win in Lincoln over in-state foe Creighton on Nov. 29, but it also made for one of the more memorable comebacks by the Huskers since the formation of the Big 12 Conference.

Nebraska’s come-from-behind victory was keyed by a strong second-half performance from Steve Harley and Cookie Miller. Harley finished with a game-high 18 points with three steals and had the key assist on Ade Dagunduro’s game-winning basket with 2.7 seconds remaining. Miller posted six assists and two steals and got the Huskers’ offense into high gear after trailing by 13 points at halftime.

 The 13-point deficit the Huskers overcame matched the largest comeback under Coach Doc Sadler. It also tied for the second-largest comeback by Nebraska during the Big 12 era, matching the 13-point deficit NU overcame at Texas Tech during Sadler’s first season on the sideline.

 The largest deficit Nebraska has rebounded from to win since the formation of the Big 12 Conference was 20 points against Kansas State in the first year of the league (1996-97). KSU also had the biggest halftime lead that NU has overcome in the Big 12 era as the Wildcats led by 18 points at the break.

 

Largest Nebraska Deficits Overcome to Win

(Big 12 era only, since 1996-97)

                                                Deficit

Year        Opponent                  Overcome

1996-97   Kansas State              20 points

2008-09    Creighton                    13 points

2006-07   at Texas Tech             13 points

2002-03   vs. UC Santa Barbara    12 points

1998-99   Texas A&M                12 points

2005-06   Baylor                      11 points

2004-05   Oklahoma State          11 points

2001-02   Colorado                  11 points

2000-01   Missouri                    11 points

1999-2000                        Eastern Illinois    10 points

1997-98   Baylor                      10 points

2003-04   Creighton (NIT game)    9 points

 Nebraska nearly added another fantastic finish to the list as it rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit, and 20-point overall deficit in the first half, to have the final shot at the win against UMBC. The Huskers pulled within two in the final minute and had the ball with less than 8 seconds remaining but came up short, falling by two points, 66-64.

 The near comeback against UMBC came just three days after the Huskers rallied from a five-point halftime deficit at home to pull away for a 75-48 victory over IPFW.

 In an continuing theme, NU fell behind by 13 points at Iowa State before battling back to tie the game at 45-45 with under seven minutes to play. With 2:13 remaining, NU trailed by just two points, 55-53, but saw the Cyclones go on a 10-0 run to end the game.