Huskers Run Away from Jackson State, 76-57

Lincoln - Nebraska used a 16-0 second-half run and had five players in double figures, as the Huskers cruised to a 76-57 win over Jackson State on Wednesday night at the Devaney Center.

The Huskers, who have won three straight, improve to 5-2 overall as they head into Sunday's non-conference battle against Creighton.

 A pair of guards - Caleb Walker and Eshaunte Jones - led Nebraska with 13 points each, while Drake Beranek, Brandon Ubel and Brandon Richardson added 10 apiece, as Nebraska placed five in double figures for the first time since November of 2009.

Richardson's 10 points all came at a critical time in the second half, as the hot start out of the locker room helped the Huskers build their biggest lead at 52-32 with just over 12 minutes remaining. The Los Angeles native did not score in the first half, but had eight of his 10 points in a two-minute span, as the Huskers turned a four-point lead into a 45-32 with 15 minutes left.

Richardson's spark, which was capped by a steal and lay-up to give NU its 20-point lead, was much needed to escape a hot-shooting Jackson State team that connected on 12-of-22 three-pointers. The Tigers shot 43 percent (18-of-42) for the game, while Nebraska hit 60 percent (30-of-50) of its field goals, its second-best shooting percentage of the season.

The Huskers hit a season-high nine three-pointers on 19 attempts, including three from Jones off the bench. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native hit his third and final trey after JSU's Tyrone Hanson connected from long range to cut NU's lead to 56-43. Jones' response ensured Nebraska control of the game throughout the second half, as the Huskers did not relinquish its double-digit lead. Beranek hit Nebraska's last three-pointer with just over four minutes left to complete his season-high 10-point performance.

The Huskers were slower offensively in the first half, but ended the half on a 6-1 run to take a 28-21 lead into the locker room. Although the Huskers never trailed, NU struggled to separate itself from the Tigers, as JSU hit 5-of-13 three-pointers in the first 20 minutes to keep within striking distance. Jackson State accounted for all 21 first-half points via three-pointers and free-throws, but shot just 29 percent from the field in the opening half.

Walker led all NU scorers in the first half with nine points, including the game's first points on a 3-pointer from the corner. While Walker scored the first five points, the Husker defense held Jackson State to just two points in the first four minutes and only one field goal in the first seven minutes as it shot 2-of-10 from the field.

Beranek and Jones each hit three-pointers in the first half and had five points apiece to hold NU's slim lead. Jones' scored his field goals on back-to-back possessions with five minutes remaining to give Nebraska a 20-15 lead. Jackson State closed the lead to 22-20 on a Hanson trey, one of three three-pointers in the first half, before Walker and Ubel sparked the late run to close the half.

Hanson finished with a game-high 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting from behind the arc, while Jenirro Buch added 14 points with four three-pointers on six attempts.

 Nebraska continues its 10-game homestand this Sunday when the Huskers host in-state rival Creighton at 1 p.m. The game will be televised by Fox Sports Midwest. To purchase tickets, visit Huskers.com or call 1-800-8-BIG-RED.