[Husker] Nebraska 59, Oklahoma State 57

[NUStLNorris at aol.com]

Wes Wilkinson shot it -- then freshman upstart Jamel White did his part in  
this great Derek Whittenburg/Lorenzo Charles/North Carolina State/Jim Valvano  
impersonation as the Huskers won a thriller in Stillwater, 59-57.  Wes  
Wilkinson shot a 22-footer that came up well short … the ever-alert White  grabbed 
it out of the air and put if off the board with 1.1 seconds to play to  win it 
for the Big Red.
 
What a huge win for Barry Collier and the Huskers.  This was an  entertaining 
game to watch as NU could’ve lost it late.  But they actually  relied on and 
took great advantage of clutch down-the-stretch free throw  shooting and an 
out-of-character Eddie Sutton coached team.
 
Nebraska goes to 4 and 3 in conference play and 14 and 6 overall.
 
Wes Wilkinson scored seven of NU’s first eight points to start the game,  
including a three-pointer on the first possession of the game.  OSU then  took 
advantage of a period of lax defensive effort by the Huskers -- blowing by  NU 
defenders on-the-dribble more than a few times -- in building a 23-16  lead.  
Collier called a timeout right about here in an effort to stop the  momentum, 
and it paid off (something that he‘d been criticized for NOT doing at  times 
this season).
 
Nebraska then went on a 9-0 run about 2/3rds of the way through the first  
half to take the lead at 25-23.  They were making an emphasis of pounding  the 
ball into 6-foot-11 Aleks Maric (who still needs to finish better).   NU’s ball 
movement and offensive spacing during this part of the game looked as  good 
as it’s looked all year.  Wilkinson had 14 of the Cornhuskers’ first  25.  OSU 
stopped the run, then NU came back with another good stretch late  in the 
first half to take their biggest first half lead at 31-25 (keyed by a  3-pointer 
by Jamel White with a little over a minute to play in the first  half.  White 
played well, despite a few turnovers.  He‘s showing signs  that are extremely 
encouraging).  OSU scored the last four points of the  half to make it 
Nebraska 31, Oklahoma State 30 at the break.
 
In the second half, NU again hit a stretch when they turned the ball over  
(unforced) entirely too much.  However, they kept playing hard, OSU’s big  man 
got in foul trouble, and they stayed in the game.  The Huskers survived  a 
seven-minute field goal drought in the second half to take a 48-46 lead on a  dunk 
by Maric off the great feed from White with about seven minutes to  play.  
Marcus Perry hit a big three-pointer just prior to the Maric  dunk.  However, 
Maric picked up his fourth foul just after the timeout on a  
less-than-intelligent illegal pick.  
 
This is where Nebraska almost lost the game.  Oklahoma State took  immediate 
advantage of Maric’ bench-time by pounding it inside.   Collier chose to NOT 
play B.J. Walker when Maric picked up #4 and it hurt  him.  However, Walker hadn
’t exactly been a force up to that point.
 
Then down the stretch, Maric and Richardson made four-out-of-four free  
throws.  NU finished 16 for 18 from the line.  OSU lead 55-53 at  the 2:04 mark.  
Wilkinson hit two more free throws at 1:17 to make it  57-55.  OSU’s big man, 
Mario Boggan, then fouled out.
 
Maric, of all people, got a steal about 20-feet from the basket and fed  
Dourisseau for a dunk with a minute to play to tie it at 57.  Great defense  by NU 
forced an OSU turnover, setting up the final possession of regulation for  NU 
with the game tied.  Ironically, White almost turned it over but  regained 
possession and called the timeout with 5.9 seconds to play to set up  the final 
play.  A play that would remind anyone who watched it, of the  great finishing 
effort that made a winner out of Valvano over Phi Slamma  Jamma.
 
NU now gets 0-and-six Baylor at home on Saturday night -- a game they HAVE  
to win and they should win -- setting up a game against Kansas that most  couldn
’t have imagined when watching the nationally-televised embarrassment  
against the Jayhawks just 10 days ago.
 
One of the most enjoyable NU basketball games I’ve seen in a long  time.  
Wins in Stillwater are rare and are to be commended. 
 
Dave Norris