Jan. 24, 2001

Box Score

By DOUG ALDEN
AP Sports Writer

LINCOLN, Neb. - Kimani Ffriend scored 20 points and had 16 rebounds Wednesday as Nebraska avoided a season sweep against Missouri with an 85-79 win.

Ffriend, a 42-percent free-throw shooter, was 10-for-13 from the line and had 10 of Nebraska's 24 offensive rebounds. The Huskers controlled most of the second half, outrebounding Missouri 28-11 and forcing 10 turnovers.

Cookie Belcher scored 15 and Steffon Bradford finished with 13 points for the Cornhuskers (9-9, 2-3 Big 12), who had lost two straight.

Clarence Gilbert had 25 points and Kareem Rush scored 21 for Missouri (12-6, 3-2), which has lost three straight.

Nebraska, which lost to Iowa State on a last-second shot on Saturday, nearly let Missouri back in it, going 4-for-8 on free throws in the final minute.

The Tigers got within 83-79 on two free throws and a 3-pointer by Gilbert with 42 seconds left, but that was it for Missouri.

The Tigers, who beat the Huskers 68-66 in the conference opener for both teams, led 36-32 at halftime and established control right away in the second half when Brian Grawer opened it with a 3-pointer.

Missouri added an 11-0 run a few minutes later, but Nebraska took over from there.

Missouri took a 55-44 lead on a Rush free throw with 12:21 left, then Nebraska scored 14 unanswered points which started a 19-1 run.

Ffriend had four points and Brian Conklin added a 3-pointer and a putback off a missed free throw by Ffriend that brought Nebraska within 55-54 with 8:35 left.

Kevin Augustine made a layup off a Missouri turnover - the Tigers' seventh in the second half - then Wilson Thomas stole the ball and got it to Belcher, who fed Ffriend for a two-handed dunk that put the crowd in a frenzy. Ffriend converted the three-point play and the Huskers led 59-55.

The Tigers missed just one of their first seven shots. Missouri cooled off a little, but still finished the first half shooting 57 percent (15-for-26), going 6-for-13 from 3-point range.

Nebraska got 11 points from Ffriend in the first 20 minutes after a surprising performance from the free-throw line, where he was 5-for-5.