Huskers, Cougars Battle for HoopTV Las Vegas Classic Title

Live radio broadcast (free)
Check out the team and coaches on NU Hoops Blog
Live video stream on HoopTV.net (subscription required) 

Game Date: Dec. 23, 2009
Tipoff Time: 9:30 p.m. CT
Venue: Orleans Arena

Huskers on TV/Radio/Internet
Television: BYU television (ESPN FullCourt; also check satellite providers for channel)
Radio: IMG Husker Sports Radio Network (Play-by-play: Kent Pavelka, Color: Matt Davison)
Internet Radio: Free on Huskers.com
Internet Video: HoopTV.net (subscription)

Nebraska Cornhuskers
Game 12
2009-10 Record: 9-2
Head coach: Doc Sadler
Record at Nebraska: 64-42 (4th year)
Record at Division I: 112-60 (6th year)
Career Record: 232-99 (11th year)

BYU Cougars
Game 13
2009-10 Record: 11-1
Head coach: Dave Rose
Record at BYU: 108-35 (5th year)
Career Record: 108-35 (5th year)

NU's Possible Starting Lineup                             2009-10 stats         
No.          Name      Yr.           Ht.           Wt.          Pts.          Rbs.       
5              Sek Henry              Sr.           6-4           200          7.8           4.5          
15            Ray Gallegos         Fr.           6-3           175          5.2           1.8          
21            Jorge Brian Diaz    RFr.         6-11         235          8.6           4.8          
34            Lance Jeter            Jr.            6-3           225          9.0           3.5*         
44            Ryan Anderson     Sr.           6-4           195          11.0         5.4          
*assists per game

BYU's Possible Starting Lineup                           2009-10 stats         
No.          Name      Yr.           Ht.           Wt.          Pts.          Rbs.       
4              Jackson Emery      Jr.            6-3           185          12.6         3.8          
23            Tyler Haws             Fr.           6-5           200          11.6         4.3          
32            Jimmer Fredette     Jr.            6-2           195          19.2         5.5*         
34            Noah Hartsock      So.          6-8           215          6.8           5.2          
54            Chris Miles             Sr.           6-11         235          5.3           3.5          
*assists per game

Huskers, Cougars Battle for Las Vegas Classic Title
The Nebraska basketball team looks to follow up on an impressive four-point victory over Conference USA favorites Tulsa on Tuesday as it takes on the BYU Cougars for the championship of the HoopTV Las Vegas Classic on Wednesday at the Orleans Arena. The Huskers and Cougars will tip off at approximately 7:30 p.m.  PT (9:30 p.m. CT) and the game is expected to be seen on ESPN FullCourt as part of the BYU television package.

The Huskers will also be heard live on the IMG Husker Sports Network on Wednesday and for free around the world on the Internet at Huskers.com. Veteran play-by-play man Kent Pavelka will call the action while former Husker Matt Davison adds color commentary.

Nebraska, which entered the week as the No. 1-ranked scoring defense in the country by allowing just 53.5 points per game, saw Tulsa put up 70 points on Tuesday, the second-highest output NU has allowed this season. The Golden Hurricane shot nearly 48 percent from the floor and hit 16-of-17 shots from the charity stripe, but Nebraska's offense finally came around enough to help the Huskers pull out the four-point win.

Nebraska scored 74 points, its most points away from home in four games this season and the most on the road since earning an 82-69 win at Texas Tech last season. The Huskers hit 47 percent from the field, including 54 percent in the second period, against Tulsa while improving to 2-2 away from home this season. NU's wins outside of the Devaney Center have come against Pac-10 foe USC and the Conference USA preseason favorite.

The Huskers got great production from across the lineup as seven Huskers had at least eight points in the game. Redshirt freshman Eshaunte Jones, who has had recent foot problems that have limited his playing time, hit a career-best four 3-pointers while posting a team-high 12 points off the bench. NU's bench outscored Tulsa's bench by 32-15, while NU also earned a hard-fought 33-27 advantage on the boards, including an impressive 14-8 advantage on the offensive glass.

Free Throws Are Key
Nebraska has been erratic at the free throw line this season, but came up big on Tuesday when the Huskers hit 75 percent (12-of-16) at the line. It was the Huskers' season-best percentage, topping the 73.7 percent (14-of-19) NU hit against Texas-Pan American.

Coach Doc Sadler has talked about how important it is to get the "right" free throw shooters at the line and NU was able to do that against Tulsa. Sophomore Brandon Richardson proved the Husker coach right as he got the inbounds and was immediately fouled on three straight trips down the court in the final 20 seconds of the victory over Tulsa and he made the Golden Hurricane pay each time.

Richardson went 6-of-6 at the stripe in the waning seconds Tuesday to ice the game for the Huskers. He has now hit a team-best 84.6 percent (22-of-26) from the charity stripe. He is tied for second on the team in free throw attempts and is one of four Huskers hitting at least 70 percent from the line.

Rare Road Win
The Cornhuskers made all the shots when they counted the most, whether at the charity stripe or from the field, as Nebraska defeated Conference USA favorite Tulsa on Tuesday. The victory was rare, however, as in recent history, it has not often that Nebraska has been able to pull out wins away from Lincoln when allowing 70 or more points.

To put it in perspective, Tuesday's win marked the first time in the coach Doc Sadler era that NU allowed at least 70 points and still won a road/neutral game. In fact, the last time Nebraska won a game away from Lincoln while giving up 70 or more points was a one-point victory at Creighton, 71-70, in the first round of the 2004 National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

Since the start of the Big 12 era in the 1996-97 campaign, Nebraska has now won just eight contests away from home while giving up 70 or more points.

Huskers Look for Rare Triple in non-Conference Play
Nebraska earned its second victory away from home this season with a 74-70 win over Tulsa in Tuesday's second game of the HoopTV Las Vegas Classic at Orleans Arena. It was the first time since 2006-07 that the Nebraska earned at least two non-conference victories away from the Devaney Center in Lincoln.

A win on Wednesday against BYU would also give the Huskers three road/neutral wins in non-conference play for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign. That year, Nebraska defeated Wyoming and Houston in the Hawaii Rainbow Classic and then added a victory over Miami on a neutral court.

In fact, it is only the fifth time in the Big 12 era that NU has won at least three non-conference games away from home

Balance is the Key for Huskers
During the start of the 2009-10 season, Nebraska has shown a balance to its offense as any number of Huskers can step up on a given night. While Nebraska is averaging just 67.2 points per game this season, only one Husker - senior Ryan Anderson - is putting up double figures. Anderson' 11 points per game are two more than Lance Jeter, who is one of seven active players gaining between 5.0 and 9.9 points per game.

On Tuesday against Tulsa, the Huskers showed that balance as they scored their fourth-highest total of the season with 74 points, but no one had more than 12 points. Redshirt freshman Eshaunte Jones led the way with 12 points, while senior Ryan Anderson and redshirt freshman Jorge Brian Diaz added 11 points each. Behind those three, four other Huskers had at least eight points, helping NU to its second win away from home this season.

Youngsters Starting to Step Up
Nebraska is one of the least experienced teams in the Big 12 Conference and the nation, but it has been getting solid production from its youngsters lately, especially on Tuesday in the first game of the HoopTV Las Vegas Classic. In the win over Tulsa, Nebraska received 35 of its 74 points from freshmen while nine more points game from a sophomore.

On the season, Nebraska's scoring has been balanced, with the freshmen producing 27.9 points per game. That comes out to 41.5 percent of the team's scoring offense from freshmen.

Anderson Moving Up Charts
Senior guard Ryan Anderson has been one of the team's most active participants on the defensive end since he began his career in scarlet and cream. The Seattle native has been consistent while working in the post despite giving up 6-8 inches nearly every game to his opponent.

Because of his decided advantage in quickness against bigger players and his ability to read the opponent offense, Anderson has quietly become one of the most prolific thieves in Husker history. He proved that once again on Tuesday against Tulsa, as he helped the Huskers to victory by producing a team- and game-high four steals.

Anderson now has 139 career steals and has moved into sole possession of seventh place in the Cornhusker record book. He passed Larry Florence on Tuesday with his four steals, the fourth time this season he has had at least four steals in a game.