Lincoln - Kelsey Griffin produced her 17th double-double of the year with 19 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, while setting the school record with 17 made free throws to lead No. 3 Nebraska to a 67-51 victory over Missouri in front of the first-ever sellout for a women's basketball game at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday.
Playing in front of a school-record crowd of 13,595, Nebraska improved to 27-0 overall and 14-0 in the Big 12, while Missouri slipped to 11-16 overall and 1-13 in the league.
Yvonne Turner added 15 points, while Dominique Kelley pitched in 11 points and six boards for the Huskers, who were officially honored by the Big 12 with the presentation of the regular-season title following the game. Nearly all of the more than 13,000 watched and cheered as Griffin cut the final loops down on the net of Nebraska's first-ever Big 12 title, which they clinched with a win over No. 11 Oklahoma in Norman on Wednesday.
Following the game, Nebraska Coach Connie Yori thanked the Husker fans for their support during her eight years in Lincoln, while crediting the toughness of her team for their success.
"I have been harder on this team than any other team that I have ever coached," Yori said. "It's because I know they can take it, and they have proven that. This team is the hardest-working team I have ever coached, and that's why they are champs."
The Huskers extended an 8-0 run to end the first half with a 5-0 run to start the second half to create an 18-point lead early in the second half. Missouri was never able to get the lead to single digits the rest of the way, as Nebraska notched its 22nd double-digit win of the year.
Nebraska hit just 40.8 percent (20-49) of its shots from the field, including 2-of-5 three-pointers. The Huskers were strong at the line, hitting 25-of-27 attempts, including Griffin's school-record 17-of-18 performance. NU was also plus-16 on the glass, posting the entire margin in the second half, when the Huskers outrebounded the Tigers, 24-8. NU did commit 21 turnovers, while forcing just 16 by the Tigers.
The Huskers held MU to just 33.9 percent shooting, including just 3-of-18 from three-point range. The Tigers also hit 10-of-13 free throws.
In a hard-fought first half, Nebraska used an 8-0 run in the final two minutes to take a 40-27 halftime lead. Griffin led the Huskers with 10 points, seven rebounds, three steals an assist and a career-high four blocked shots in the first half alone. Turner and Kelley each added seven points, while Catheryn Redmon pitched in six points, three boards and a block.
The Huskers hit 52 percent (13-25) of their shots from the field in the first half, including 1-of-2 three-pointers, while connecting on all 13 of their free throw attempts. NU matched Missouri on the boards at 18, while winning the first-half turnover battle, 10-9.
Brown led the Tigers with 11 points, while Johnson added seven points, but MU hit just 10-of-33 field goals (30.3 percent), including 2-of-9 three-point attempts. Mizzou was also 5-of-7 at the line.
Nebraska will play its final home game of the 2009-10 campaign on Wednesday, when the Huskers take on Kansas. Tip-off with the Jayhawks is set for 7:05 p.m. Before the game, Nebraska will honor its school-record six-player senior class with Senior Night festivities. Kelsey Griffin, Cory Montgomery, Yvonne Turner, Kala Kuhlmann, Nicole Neals and Nikki Bober will all be honored.