Huskers Host No. 3 Texas on Saturday

Game 26: vs. Texas
Game Date: Feb. 19, 2011
Tipoff Time:  12:47 p.m.
Venue: Bob Devaney Sports Center
Capacity: 13,595

Nebraska Cornhuskers
Game: 26
2010-11 Record: 17-8, 5-6 Big 12
Head coach: Doc Sadler
                Record at Nebraska: 87-66 (5th year)
                Record at Division I: 135-84 (7th year)
                Career Record: 255-123 (13th year)

Texas Longhorns
Game: 27
2010-11 Record: 23-3, 11-0 Big 12
Head coach: Rick Barnes
                Record at Texas: 317-118 (13th year)
                Career Record: 519-252 (24th year)

Broadcast Information
Television: Big 12 Network (KLKN TV in Lincoln; KXVO in Omaha; KIIT In North Platte). A list of national outlets is on page 10 of this release. 
                Play-by-play: Mitch Holthus  
                Color: Rich Zvosec
Internet Video: ESPN3.com
Radio: IMG Husker Sports Radio Network 
                Play-by-play: Kent Pavelka
                Color: Matt Davison
Internet Radio/Stats: Free on Huskers.com
Satellite Radio: Sirius Ch. 125

Promotions
Pregame: Nebraska Basketball Hall of Fame
Halftime: FM Acro Team

Huskers Host No. 3 Texas on Saturday
Following a big road win at Oklahoma Wednesday night, the Nebraska basketball team looks to build on a potential postseason resume this weekend, as the Huskers host No. 3/2 (AP/Coaches) Texas at the Devaney Center Saturday afternoon.

Tickets for Saturday's game are available by calling 800-8-BIGRED or by visiting Huskers.com. Saturday's contest will also feature the pregame presentation of the 2011 class for the Nebraska Basketball Hall of Fame, including Bruce Chubick, who is one of only two players in school history to play on four consecutive NCAA teams. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 12:15 p.m. for the pregame ceremony.

The game will be televised across the region and throughout the nation on the Big 12 Network with Mitch Holthus  and Rich Zvosec on the call. The game can be seen in Nebraska on KLKN (Ch. 8) in Lincoln, KXVO (Ch. 15) in Omaha and KIIT (Ch. 11) in North Platte. In addition to the complete list on page 11, the game can also be seen on ESPN Full Court and on the Internet on ESPN3.com.

Saturday's game against Texas will also be available on the 32-station IMG Husker Sports Radio Network with Kent Pavelka and Matt Davison on the call, including KFAB 1110 AM in Omaha, KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln and KRVN 880 in Lexington and available on the Internet at Huskers.com.

The Huskers (17-8, 5-6 Big 12) enter Saturday's game riding a two-game win streak following its first regular-season sweep of the Oklahoma schools since 2006. On Wednesday, the Huskers got 17 points from Jorge Brian Diaz while Toney McCray scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half, as the Huskers picked up a 59-58 win at Oklahoma, picking up their first road win in nearly two seasons.   The Huskers shot 52 percent from the field - their best shooting percentage in seven games - while holding Oklahoma to 43 percent to pick up their first victory in Norman since 1999.

Wednesday's win put the Huskers in the middle of the pack entering the homestretch of the season, as Nebraska is in a three-way tie for fifth with Kansas State and Colorado and just one out of fourth place in the league race. In all, three games separate third from 10th in the league standings.

The Huskers have three of their final five games at home where they are 15-1 on the season. The stretch begins Saturday against a Texas squad that has won 11 straight games and will likely be No. 1 in at least one of the polls with a win this weekend.

Saturday's matchup features two of the best defensive teams in the Big 12, as both teams rank in the top five nationally in field goal percentage defense. Texas is second nationally, holding opponents to 36.5 percent shooting, while Nebraska is fifth, limiting foes to just 38 percent on the year.

Quick Look at Texas
Texas comes into Saturday's contest with a 23-3 mark, including a perfect 11-0 record in Big 12 play. The Longhorns, who are ranked second by the coaches and third in the AP, have been dominant in Big 12 play, winning 10 of their 11 games by double figures, including a 73-55 win over Oklahoma State on Wednesday night. Earlier this season, the Longhorns snapped Kansas' 69-game home win streak with a 74-63 victory and enter the weekend with a two-game lead on No. 1 Kansas in the Big 12 race. Texas' only losses this season have come against Pittsburgh, USC and UConn.

Texas has been exceptional on the defensive end, holding opponents to just 37 percent shooting and 59.5 points per game on the season to rank among the national leaders in both categories. UT has also been stingy on the arc, holding opponents to just 28 percent shooting from 3-point range. In Big 12 play, the Longhorns have allowed more than 60 points just once.  UT also is a +7.1 in rebounding and averaging 41.0 rebounds per game, making the third-ranked Longhorns one of the nation's premier teams heading down the stretch.

Sophomore Jordan Hamilton has emerged as one of the frontrunners for Big 12 Player of the Year, averaging 18.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game to rank in the top five in the league in both categories. Freshman Tristan Thompson and Gary Johnson anchor the Longhorns' inside game, combining for 24.8 points and 14 rebounds per game. Freshman Cory Joseph is the fourth UT player averaging double figures with 11.0 points per game while shooting 43 percent from the field. UT has nine players who see extensive action, while Hamilton, Joseph and J'Covan Brown have combined for 135 of UT's 144 3-pointers on the year.

Nebraska-Texas Series
Nebraska and Texas will meet for only the 22nd time in history on Saturday, the second-shortest series for the Huskers against a Big 12 opponent.

• Texas leads the series by an overall mark of 16-5, including a 12-3 mark since the formation of the Big 12.
• Texas has won eight of the past nine matchups, with NU's lone win in that stretch coming in a 58-55 win over the No. 16 Longhorns on Feb. 7, 2009.
• Three of the Huskers' five wins in the all-time series have come against ranked Longhorn squads including 1996 (UT ranked No. 23) and 2001 (UT ranked No. 23).
• Three of the last four matches have been decided by four points or less.
• The Longhorns are 5-4 at the Devaney Center all-time.

Last Time Out
Brandon Ubel scored four of his nine points in a decisive 7-0 spurt, while a ruling at the buzzer provided the margin for Nebraska's 59-58 win.  The Huskers trailed 47-46 before Ubel keyed the run with back-to-back baskets to give NU a 50-47 lead before Lance Jeter hit a 3-pointer from the wing to give the Huskers a 53-47 lead. OU came right back with six straight points to tie the score, but never regained the lead as the Huskers held on down the stretch.

Jorge Brian Diaz, who scored a season-high 17 points in the win, gave Nebraska the lead for good at 54-53, splitting a pair of free throws with 2:23 remaining before Toney McCray's layup gave NU a 3-point lead with 44.8 seconds left. NU pushed the lead to 57-53 before Carl Blair's 3-point play made it a one-point game. Lance Jeter hit a pair of free throws to make it 59-56 before Cade Davis' basket from the corner with five seconds left seemingly tied the game. After a review after time expired, the officials ruled that Davis's foot was on the line, giving the Huskers a one-point win.

McCray scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half, while Caleb Walker had 10 points and six rebounds, as Nebraska shot 52 percent in picking up its first win in Norman since 1999.  Andrew Fitzgerald led Oklahoma with 15 points, as three Sooners finished in double figures.

Noting the Oklahoma game

• Nebraska snapped a 13-game road losing streak and was the Huskers' first road win in league play since the regular-season finale at Baylor in 2008-09.
• Nebraska's win was its first in Norman since 1999 and just the Huskers' 21st win in 81 games in Norman. Prior to tonight, the home team had won the last six meetings in the series. It was also NU's second win in Big 12 play in Norman.
• Nebraska's 17-8 record matches NU's best record of the Big 12 era after 25 games and the fourth time in the last five years that Nebraska has won at least 17 games.
• Nebraska swept the Oklahoma schools in the regular season for the first time since 2005-06 and just the second time in the Big 12 era (also 1997-98).
• Nebraska has won five of the last seven meetings with Oklahoma, its best stretch in the series since 1980 to 1983.
• The Huskers held Oklahoma to 58 points, the 15th opponent held under 60 points this season.
•  Jorge Brian Diaz had a season-high 17 points in Wednesday's win over Oklahoma, hitting 7-of-9 shots from the floor. Diaz's previous season high was 16 points in a win over No. 13 Texas A&M. Diaz also matched his career high with three blocked shots against the Sooners.
• Lance Jeter grabbed eight rebounds, which tied his career best set against USC earlier this season.
• Brandon Richardson saw his streak of consecutive free throws end at 25 in the second half on Wednesday. He had not missed since the final minute of NU's game against Kansas on Jan. 16.
• Doc Sadler now has 87 wins in the first five seasons, matching Moe Iba and Danny Nee for the most wins by a Husker basketball coach in his first five seasons at Nebraska.
• Nebraska has had five of its 11 Big 12 games decided by four points or less, including three one-point games.
• Nebraska shot just 61.5 percent from the foul line, the first time in 10 games the Huskers shot under 70 percent.

A Win against Texas Would...

• Would be Nebraska's first win over a top-five opponent since downing No. 4 Oklahoma State, 74-67 on Feb. 22, 2005, and the first time the Huskers knocked off a top-three foe since a 98-91 win over No. 3 Missouri in the semifinals of the Big Eight Tournament. In that game, Nebraska Hall of Famer Bruce Chubick had 17 points and pulled down 16 rebounds in the win.
• Improve Nebraska to 18-8 for the first time since the 1991-92 season, a year the Huskers went 19-10 and reached the NCAA Tournament. It would be Nebraska's third 18-win season in Doc Sadler's five years at Nebraska after winning 18 or more games only twice between 1999-2000 and 2005-06.
• Be Nebraska's second win over a ranked opponent this season, improving NU's record to 2-3 versus ranked foes.
• Improve the Huskers' record to 5-6 against teams currently in the top 100 in the NCAA's latest RPI, including two wins over teams in the top 30 (also Texas A&M).
• Improve Nebraska to 16-1 at home this season, as the 16 wins in the Devaney Center would equal the Huskers' highest total since the 1982-83 campaign.
• Be the fourth time Nebraska has knocked off a ranked Texas team at the Devaney Center.
• Give Nebraska its first win over a team ranked in the top three in the national polls in the Big 12 era. All 13 previous matchups came against Kansas. NU is also 0-4 against teams ranked third in the AP poll in the Big 12 era, including a 63-60 loss in Lawrence on Jan. 16.
• Be Nebraska's first home win over a top-five team since knocking off No. 3. Kansas in 1993.