Huskers storm back on Tigers

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By CURT MCKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star

The series between the Nebraska and Missouri women’s basketball teams took a turn from strange to practically unexplainable in Mizzou Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The Tigers — who had lost the last four games to the Huskers in Columbia, Mo., despite owning a seven-game winning streak against them in Lincoln — gained control from the start, built a 14-point second-half lead and still led by 10 with 5:30 remaining.

What happened next? Well, let’s let NU junior forward Kelsey Griffin have a try at that one.

“I don’t know. I don’t think there’s any explanation, except for willpower,” Griffin said after scoring 10 of her 23 points during a 22-6 flurry that netted Nebraska a 73-67 victory. “The youth of our team is what helped us win, because people didn’t know any better.”

It was the Big 12’s youngest team, though, that took the lead in the opening minute and had the Huskers on the ropes when sophomore forward Jessra Johnson scored to make it 61-51 with 5:50 to play.

Griffin answered with a basket on Nebraska’s next possession, but the Huskers were still down 63-56 after Alyssa Hollins hit a baseline shot with less than four minutes left.

From that point on, NU did nothing wrong, scoring on its final eight possessions to deny the Big 12’s last-place team the upset.

Freshman Kaitlyn Burke and sophomore Vonnie Turner started the stretch by sinking three-pointers, which one might not consider to be any big deal unless they knew Nebraska started the game missing their first 10 from that range.

After Turner’s three from the top of the key pulled the Huskers to 63-62, Griffin showed why she’s a returning All-Big 12 performer.

Following her block of Johnson, she gave NU its first lead by driving the right side of the lane for a basket at the 2:32 mark. Shakara Jones answered immediately at the other end to put the Tigers back in front, but Griffin came right back to score from the left block with 1:56 to go.

Those points would put the Huskers in front to stay, but Griffin wasn’t done. She came up with a steal on the Tigers’ next possession and fed an outlet pass to Turner for a layup. Then, after Missouri had an unforced turnover, Griffin was fouled and hit a free throw to make it 69-65.

Jones answered by scoring on a drive to pull the Tigers to 69-67 with 20.3 seconds left, but Griffin gave NU a two-possession lead, essentially sealing the outcome, by hitting two more freebies after being fouled with 15.4 seconds remaining.

“Coach Yori just kept calling my number and I just had to respond,” Griffin said. “But I don’t think it was anything I did, particularly. It was a team effort.

“I think it was Vonnie’s (second) three-pointer (when I felt like we were going to win). I told Vonnie if I’d had any energy left, I would’ve jumped up and down like a cheerleader then.”

Nebraska’s biggest comeback of the season allowed it to stop a two-game losing streak and reach the halfway point of league play 16-6 overall and a fifth-place 5-3 — one-half game behind third-place Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

Missouri fell to 8-13 overall and 1-7 in the league.

“With the depth of the Big 12, you’re not going to get an easy game anywhere,” said senior forward Danielle Page, who scored 13 points. “I think it’s huge to be 5-3 instead of 4-4. It boosts our confidence and helps us know that we’re never out of a game.”

The Huskers return to action Wednesday night at Colorado, then are home to face Oklahoma State on Sunday afternoon.