Feb. 12, 2002
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Missouri Tigers (17-7, 6-4) at
Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-10, 4-6)
Game# 25 - Feb. 13, 2002 - Lincoln, Neb.
TIPOFF: 7:05 p.m. (central time).
ARENA: Bob Devaney Sports Center (13,500). Opened in 1976. NU is 307-92 there alltime, including 11-2 this season. MU is 12-13 there alltime vs. Nebraska.
RADIO: Tiger Network (Mike Kelly, play-by-play/Gary Link , color). Carried on more than 50 stations statewide, and on the Internet at www.mutigers.com.
TV: No television for this contest.
RANKINGS: MU is receiving votes in both polls, NU is not ranked.
SERIES: MU leads, 112-83 alltime, and has won 4 of the last 5 meetings. NU has won 5 of the last 6 meetings in Lincoln, including 85-79 in 2001.
COACHES:
Missouri: Quin Snyder (Duke '89), 55-33 at MU and overall (3rd season). Snyder is 4-1 vs. Nebraska and 2-1 vs. Barry Collier.
Nebraska: Barry Collier (Butler '76), 25-26 (2nd season) at NU and 221-158 overall (13th season). Collier is 1-2 vs. Missouri and Quin Snyder.
TIGERS CONTINUE ROAD TRIP AT NEBRASKA WEDNESDAY
The Missouri Tigers (17-7 overall, 6-4 in Big 12 Conference play) continue their road trip Wednesday when they take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-10, 4-6) in Lincoln, Neb. Tipoff for the non-televised game is set for 7:05 at the Devaney Sports Center.
Missouri is looking to bounce back from a tough 81-80 loss last Saturday at Baylor. The Tigers led that game with just 11 seconds left, before a pair of BU free throws accounted for the final score. MU is 4th in the Big 12 standings, one-half game behind 3rd-place Texas. The Tigers are looking to break a 3-game road losing streak.
Nebraska is coming off a convincing 99-82 home win over Kansas State on Saturday. The Huskers have won 3 of their last 4 games - with all 3 wins coming at home. NU is 11-2 at home this season, with their only 2 losses coming to Sam Houston State and Oklahoma. NU is tied for 7th in the league standings, just one game out of 5th.
Missouri continues a stretch that will see them play 4 of 5 games on the road. After falling at Baylor Saturday, MU is 2-5 this season on the road, and 8-13 in Big 12 Conference road games the last 3 seasons.
Missouri's last 3 games have been decided by an average of just 2.7 points. Additionally, 3 of MU's losses on the year have come by 4 pts. or fewer - all of those on the road.
Kareem Rush will be looking to atone for a season-low 8-pt. outing Jan. 5 vs. Nebraska. It marked the only time this season, and just the 5th time in his career, that Rush has been held to single digits in scoring.
Three-point shooting could be a major factor in Wednesday's game, as Nebraska and Missouri rank 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in the Big 12 in 3's made per game. Nebraska ranks 2nd, with an average of 9.29 per game, while MU is right behind in 3rd, at 8.92 per game.
Missouri lost at Baylor Saturday despite outshooting (51.8% to 41.5%) and outrebounding (39 to 30) the Bears. MU was on fire from long range, as well, connecting on 50.0% of its 3-pt. FGs (13-of-26). MU hurt itself with 17 turnovers (compared to just 8 for BU).
Big 12 Conference schools are 7-8 this season against non-conference ranked opponents. MU owns 3 of those 7 wins, as the Tigers have beaten then-#22 Alabama, then-#9 Iowa and then-#8 Virginia.
MU's 3-pronged attack of Kareem Rush (20.7 ppg), Clarence Gilbert (16.1 ppg) and Arthur Johnson (11.9 ppg & 8.3 rpg) provide one of the best inside-outside threats around. Rush and Gilbert are ranked 1-2 in the Big 12 in 3-pt. field goals, while Johnson leads the league in blocked shots, and ranks among the leaders in rebounding and FG%.
Clarence Gilbert is the Big 12's active leading career scorer with 1,461 career points (he also ranks 9th alltime in the Big 12). He ranks 9th alltime at MU, as well.
Kareem Rush ranks 2nd in the Big 12 in scoring (20.1 ppg). He has lived up to his All-American billing of late by averaging 27.3 points per game in MU's 2 wins this week. He had 29 Saturday at Baylor, 27 last Wednesday vs. Iowa State (including 23 in the decisive 2nd half), and preceded that with 26 on Feb. 6 vs. #8 Virginia (including game clinching FTs w/14 seconds left).
Rush was named one of 20 finalists on Tuesday for the prestigious Naismith Award.
