Missouri
Nebraska
Missouri Edges Nebraska In Big 12 Opener, 68-66
1/6/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 6, 2001
By R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Kareem Rush scored 30 points and hit two clinching free throws as Missouri rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit for a 68-66 victory over Nebraska in a Big 12 opener Saturday night.
Rush, who leads the Big 12 with a 21.6-point average, had 22 of Missouri's first 33 points, but the Tigers (10-3) trailed by seven at the time. Teammates Clarence Gilbert and Arthur Johnson also had strong second halves, finishing with 16 and 13 points, and Johnson added two blocked shots for 17 in the last three games.
Rush hit a pair of free throws with 1:04 to go for the game's final points. Gilbert missed a chance to ice it when he missed on the bonus with 10.6 seconds to go and Nebraska called timeout with 6.8 seconds to go.
Brian Grawer stripped John Robinson outside the 3-point line with 1.7 seconds to go, and T.J. Soyoye stole the ensuing inbounds pass from Robinson to end the final threat.
Missouri trailed 34-26 at the half and shot only 27 percent. The Tigers shot 53 percent the rest of the way to continue a season-long trend. Entering the game, they were shooting 42 percent in the first half, 48 percent thereafter.
Kimani Ffriend had 15 points and 11 rebounds for Nebraska (7-7), which has lost four in a row. Cary Cochran added 15 points on 5-for-5 3-point shooting for the Cornhuskers, who were pulled down by a season-worst 24 turnovers.
Cochran is 39-for-75 from 3-point range for the season.
Nebraska was up 47-37 after Cochran's last 3-pointer with 15:49 to go. Three Missouri players hit 3-pointers and Gilbert had seven points in a 16-2 run that put Missouri ahead 53-49 with 9:43 left.
Nebraska rallied to tie it 66-66 on two free throws by Cookie Belcher with 1:14 remaining.
Missouri has won four of five overall and seven of the last nine in the series. The Tigers are 7-0 in the Hearnes Center.
Nebraska is 0-5 in Big 12 openers, all on the road.
Belcher had eight points in his 112th career start for Nebraska, breaking the school record set by Dave Hoppen from 1983-86. Belcher also had seven turnovers.
Nebraska shot 54.5 percent and had a 23-12 rebounding advantage in the first half while taking a 34-26 lead. Cochran was 4-for-4 from 3-point range and had 12 points in the half.
