Husker women cruise past Missouri
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BY CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star
So much for the talk about the Nebraska women’s basketball team’s recent lack of sustained focus. Against Missouri at the Devaney Sports Center on Thursday, the Huskers brought their "20-20"’ game.
* All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin scored a season-high 26 points, while senior forward Danielle Page contributed 20.
* NU outrebounded the Tigers by 21.
* And, wouldn’t you know it, one game after a one-point loss to Kansas in which NU hit just 17 of 34 free throws, Connie Yori’s team was 19-for-23 from the line.
Anyone for a nice, old-fashioned blowout?
“After the previous two games, it was a nice change to be up (big) going into the final minutes,” Page said after Nebraska defeated the Tigers 73-57 before a crowd of 5,085. “You lose two in a row, you get a little worried. But tonight we went out there, we knew we needed a win and I think we executed well.”
The Huskers, who earlier this month needed a late burst to overcome a 14-point deficit and win at Missouri, didn’t wait nearly as long to take care of the Tigers this time.
NU scored on its first five possessions of the second half — with three of those being set up by steals — to build a 12-point lead that eventually peaked at 20.
It was a welcome cruise for a team that in its previous six games had needed surges in the late going to either win or try to make things interesting.
“That is not coasting, in my mind,” Yori contended after NU improved to 18-8 overall and 7-5 in the Big 12. “We did a lot of good things to get to that lead. The last five, six minutes was, ‘Let’s just make sure we take care of the ball.’”
That option was a lot better than what the Huskers faced in Columbia, Mo., on Feb. 3. With 5:30 to go in that game, they were behind by 10 points. At the same point Thursday, they were up by 19 — and Griffin and Page had scored all but one of their points.
“We were trying to look to help off on (Griffin) when we could,” Missouri coach Cindy Stein said. But “Connie does a great job of putting her post players in position where it’s hard to help. Because of how they spread the floor, it’s hard to double.”
Missouri, which had beaten NU seven straight times at the Sports Center entering Thursday, recovered from an 8-0 deficit to take a four-point lead on Alyssa Hollins’ fourth three-pointer with 6:19 to go in the first half.
After the Huskers scored the next seven points, Jasmyn Otote sank another three to draw the Tigers even. But Nebraska closed the half with a 6-0 run that signaled the beginning of the end for Missouri.
“We were happy with the shooting,” Hollins said of Missouri going 7-for-10 on threes in the opening half. “But shooting the ball isn’t going to get it done. You’ve got to play defense.”
While Page added 12 rebounds to record her fourth career double-double, Griffin’s offense and eight rebounds made her the eighth Husker to surpass 1,200 points and 600 rebounds in a career.
“We got closer to 40 minutes tonight,” Griffin said. “I think that’s really what the key was.”
Having ended its home-court woes against Missouri, the Huskers now head to Texas Tech on Sunday, looking to beat the Lady Raiders for the first time since 1997.
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
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