Post Game Notes
3/10/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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March 10, 2005
MISSOURI TEAM NOTES
Missouri beats Nebraska for the third time this season. That last time Missouri beat a team three times in the same season was 1994, when the Tigers went 14-0 in the Big 8 and beat Colorado for the third time in the first round of the Big 8 Tournament.
Missouri is now 8-0 in first round games in the Big 12 Tournament. The Tigers are 3-0 against the Huskers in Big 12 Tournament play and 8-1 vs. NU in postseason conference tournaments.
This is the Tigers first Big 12 Tournament as the 8th seed. The #8 team is now 6-3 in opening round games of the tournament.
The Tigers are now 13-0 when shooting better than their opponent. They shot 42% versus Nebraska's 37%.
Missouri had 7 steals in the first half; none in the second half.
MISSOURI PLAYER NOTES
Linas Kleiza earned his 10th double-double of the season with 26 points and 11 rebounds. 26 points matches his second best effort of the season (he scored 31 against the Huskers in Columbia and had 26 against Montana).
Over a period of 7:49, Kleiza scored 19 of Missouri's 21 points (6-6 FT's). Missouri grabbed its biggest lead of the game (16) on Kleiza's two free throws at 15:39 in the second half. Kleiza was held scoreless over a 10:33 stretch in the second half, but hit two free throws at the 5:06 mark to end that drought. Kleiza scored MU's final 5 points.
Kevin Young tied a career high in free throws made with 5. He set a career mark with free throws attempted (8). His 8 rebounds is one off his career mark set against Baylor in February.
Jason Conley's 12 rebounds is one off a career-high. He had 13 against Gonzaga and Iowa State.
NEBRASKA TEAM NOTES
After four ties (2-2; 5-5; 7-7; 9-9) in the first 7:04 of the game, Nebraska was 1-of-6 from the field during a 9-2 Tiger run, which gave Missouri a 16-9 lead. After Missouri took a 7-point lead (25-18) with 3:28 left in the first half, Nebraska cut the margin to 25-23 with 1:46 left in the half. Since that point, Missouri outscored the Huskers 19-6.
Nebraska did not turn the ball over in the 2nd half after committing 10 first-half turnovers. Six of Nebraska's 10 turnovers were within the first 4:25 of the game. The Huskers' last miscue of the game was at the 4:16 mark in the first half - meaning the Huskers played the final 24:16 without a turnover.
Nebraska was 15-of-22 from the free-throw line in the second half.
Nebraska was outrebounded for only the eighth time this season and the second consecutive game. The Tigers outrebounded the Huskers 39-35. K-State outrebounded Nebraska last Saturday.
Nebraska is 0-3 when playing in the No. 8- vs. No. 9-seed in the Big 12 Tournament.
NEBRASKA PLAYER NOTES
Freshman Joe McCray's team-high 20 points marks the fifth time he's scored at least 20 points in his last 11 games. He scored eight of Nebraska's first 16 points of the game. He has scored in double figures in nine straight games and 10 of his last 11 games.
Joe McCray's 20 field-goal attempts was a career high. His previous high was 19 vs. Texas on Jan. 15, 2005.
With his three three-pointers today, Joe McCray became only the second Husker ever in any class to to record 80 treys in a season and broke the Big 12 Conference freshman record for three-pointers made in a season. The previous conference record of 79 three-pointers, was held by Jeff Boschee (Kansas, 1998-99) and Bernard King (Texas A&M, 1999-2000)
Joe McCray's team-high nine rebounds was the most by the freshman since he had a career-high 11 vs. Texas Jan. 15, 2005. His team-high six rebounds in the first half were more than he had total in his last two games.
Joe McCray was 4-of-9 (.444) from the field in the first half, while the rest of the Husker team combined for 6-of-19 (.315) field-goal shooting. McCray was 2-of-4 from behind the arc in the first 20 minutes, while the rest of the Nebraska team was 1-of-4.
In the second half, Joe McCray went scoreless for 11:05. He was 3-of-11 from the field in the second half.
Junior Jason Dourisseau scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half. His eight free-throws made tied his career high, originally set vs. Texas Southern Nov. 27, 2004. His 13 free-throw attempts was a career high.
Sophomore Charles Richardson, who led Nebraska with five assists, has averaged 5.0 assists in his last two games.
