Missouri collects first road win at Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Linas Kleiza hit a pair of free throws with 35 seconds remaining Saturday to seal Missouri's 56-53 come-from-behind win over Nebraska.

Missouri (13-13, 5-8 Big 12) trailed by as many as nine in the first half and never led by more than five in taking its first win in 10 games on the road this season. Nebraska (11-12, 4-8) has now lost eight of its last 10 conference games.

Missouri trailed by eight early in the second half but put together a 9-2 run to take a 42-37 lead on Kevin Young's tip-in with 11:08 left. Nebraska cut the lead to one on Joe McCray's 3-pointer with 6:35 left that made the score 45-44.

But the Tigers stayed in front, matching Nebraska basket for basket for the next four minutes. A McCray 3-pointer pulled Nebraska back within one at 52-51 with 2:16 left. But McCray missed the first free throw in a one-and-one opportunity with 1:34 that could have given the Huskers the lead.

Young's jumper off a drive in the lane put the Tigers up 54-51 with 1:15 left. McCray missed another free throw, but Nebraska's Aleks Maric pulled down the rebound and hit a hook shot in the lane.

Kleiza's free throws put Missouri up 56-53 with 35 seconds left. McCray missed a pair of 3-pointers on Nebraska's next possession.

Jason Horton missed the front end of a one-and-one for Missouri with 9 seconds left that could have put the game away. But Nebraska's Marcus Neal Jr. forced up a shot from the 3-point line that failed to hit the rim.

Nebraska got in front by holding Missouri without a field goal for more than six minutes late in the first half. The Huskers put up 11 unanswered points during that stretch, capped by an Alex Maric 8-foot jump shot that made the score 23-14 with 3:05 left in the half.

Kleiza led Missouri with 15 points. Thomas Gardner had 10 for the Tigers.

Maric and Jason Dourisseau scored 13 each to lead Nebraska. McCray had 12 for the Huskers and John Turek added 10.