Husker Defense and Jones' 3-Pointer Sink USC

Los Angeles – Redshirt freshman Eshaunte Jones made his only basket of the second half count, calmly knocking down a clutch 3-pointer with just 11.7 seconds left to lift Nebraska to a 51-48 victory over USC at the Galen Center on Sunday in the first game of the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series.

Jones' basket broke a 48-48 tie after the Trojans (2-2) knotted the game with 42.4 seconds remaining on a Nikola Vucevic putback of a missed shot, the eighth tie of the game. The Huskers then came down and took their final timeout with 37.4 seconds left, leaving time for coach Doc Sadler to set up a play for the Indiana native that gave the Huskers the 20th and final lead change.

After the Huskers worked the ball around the perimeter to get the clock under 15 seconds, Jones, who had just four points in the first period, came around a screen and shot without hesitation, hitting the bottom of the net to give the Huskers (4-1) their first road win of the season. The basket was reviewed at length and called a 3-pointer, setting up a last shot for the Trojans, when the Husker defense locked down and did not allow a good opportunity, as USC put up a wild shot at the buzzer that only hit the backboard.

It was much like the end of the first half when the Huskers also hit the last shot of the period and then grinded it out on defense, not allowing USC to score as the clock wound down. This time, however, it was the Trojans' last chance.

Jones finished with just seven points while senior Ryan Anderson led the way with a game-high 14 points. Anderson was 5-of-9 from the floor including a trio of 3-pointers while adding three rebounds, as the Huskers were outrebounded 38-27.

Anderson played a big role down the stretch along with Jones, giving the Huskers’ the lead with 1:06 to play. Anderson sneaked up past the top of the key and intercepted a pass for his fourth steal of the game before racing down the court for a layup and 47-46 lead. He was fouled on the play and knocked down the free throw, despite early struggles at the charity stripe by the Huskers. It was one of just three free throws made by Nebraska in 11 attempts (27.3 percent).

Along with Anderson, freshman Brandon Ubel was the only other Husker in double figures, scoring 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting. He hit his first four shots from the floor, including a nice jumper and a 3-pointer to open the game for Nebraska.

Both teams came out hot, with the Trojans holding a 10-9 lead at the first media timeout barely four minutes into the contest. Ubel opened the flood gates with the Huskers’ first two baskets, including his second 3-pointer this season.

USC countered with a 3-point barrage, hitting four of their first five attempts from outside the arc. The hot shooting Trojans kept the pressure on as the teams traded the lead 13 times in the opening period.

After the initial flurry of offense, the Huskers started to pick up on defense, holding USC to one basket in seven-plus minute span. The Trojans would finish hitting just 40 percent in the first period, but Nebraska could not pull away as it knocked down only 44 percent, including struggling to a 1-for-6 effort at the free throw line.

USC stayed in the first half with its long-range shooting, hitting 5-of-7 3-point attempts, although NU’s defense allowed just two 3-point tries down the stretch.

Nebraska’s offensive struggles included a five-minute scoreless streak until nice turnaround jumper by Ubel that ended a 6-0 Trojan run. During the USC surge, Donte Smith hit his second trey of the period, one of five first-half 3-pointers by the Trojans.

Anderson countered for Nebraska with his second 3-pointer of the half to give NU a 23-22 lead with 4:37 to play. Like the first 16 minutes of the game, USC answered right back, this time with a long two-pointer from Smith.

Smith then picked up his third personal foul of period on basket by Quincy Hankins-Cole and Jones’ basket with 40 seconds remaining ended the scoring. USC had one more chance with the ball and a full shot clock, but the Huskers’ forced a bad shot and a shot-clock violation to end the period going into the locker room ahead 27-26.  

Defense dominated the second half as neither team could get into a groove other than a small surge by the Trojans early in the period. Marcus Johnson scored two baskets, including a traditional three-point play and pushed USC to a 7-0 run that gave the Trojans a 37-33 lead with 14:03 to play.

From there, the teams combined for 14 points over the next seven minutes with the Huskers taking a 43-41 lead at the 7:27 mark on Anderson’s layup. The senior got the ball on a run out after it was batted around three times following a missed USC free throw, tipped out by Sek Henry to Jeter, who found Anderson and beat three Trojans down court.

Neither team scored for the next two minutes until Stepheson picked up a bobbled rebound by the Huskers and laid it in while getting fouled, scoring a traditional three-point play to push the Trojans to a 46-43 advantage with 3:22 to play. It was USC’s first basket in more than six minutes, although the Huskers also had a four-minute draught until Hankins-Cole grabbed a rebound and added a basket in the paint with 1:35 to play, setting up Anderson and Jones’ exciting finish.

Nebraska finished the game hitting just 42 percent (21-of-50) from the field, including 6-of-14 from 3-point range. The Huskers had 11 assists and committed just seven turnovers while forcing 17 Trojan turnovers. USC hit only 38.5 percent (15-of-39) from the floor, and was 5-of-9 from 3-point range, but only took two 3-point attempts in the second half, missing both.

Alex Stepheson came off the bench to lead USC with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Johnson, Smith and Dwight Lewis each had 10 points apiece.

Nebraska returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 2 when the Cornhuskers return to Lincoln to face Texas-Pan American at the Devaney Center at 7 p.m. The game will be heard on the IMG Husker Sports Radio Network and for free on Huskers.com.