Nebraska upsets MU in first round of Big 12 tournament

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Making fast-paced Missouri play Nebraska's brand of basketball was all it took to create a major upset in the Big 12 tournament.

The 12th-seeded Huskers, who already had lost twice to the fifth-seeded Tigers, played perhaps their best game of the season and shocked Missouri with an early 16-1 spree en route to a 75-60 victory in the first round Wednesday.

"We made them play our game," said Nebraska's Brandon Richardson, whose 19 points included a rally-killing four-point play in the second half. "Missouri wants to play a fast-paced style."

The underdog Cornhuskers (15-17), who had won just two of 16 Big 12 regular-season games, outrebounded, outshot and outhustled the team that had easily beaten them twice this year.

After Kim English pulled the Tigers (22-10) to 61-51 with a pair of free throws with 4:01 to play, Richardson canned a long 3-pointer, drew a foul from Zaire Taylor and made the free throw for a four-point play that finally silenced the huge pro-Missouri crowd.

"It's been a tough season," Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said. "But as I've said, from the toughest losses to the few wins that we've had, this basketball team has continued to compete and show great character."

Ryan Anderson had 16 points and nine rebounds for Nebraska and Jorge Brian Diaz had 10, including several easy buckets as the Huskers consistently beat Missouri's pressure defense.

Laurence Bowers had 11 points for Missouri, the defending Big 12 tournament champion.

"It was one of those games where everything went right for them," Missouri coach Mike Anderson said. "They were making shots, even the four-point shot. It seemed like every loose ball they got. And we made our run at them, but for some reason it just didn't take place for us."

Missouri cut the lead to 39-28 at halftime, but Ryan Anderson's 3-pointer ignited a 7-0 spree to start the second half for Nebraska. Diaz, a 6-foot-11 center, then got free for two easy buckets, and Missouri called time out trailing by 18.

In the quarterfinals today, Nebraska will play No. 4 seed Texas A&M, which beat them 64-53 on Jan. 9.

"Today we just made some plays, and we shot the basketball well," Sadler said. "We went into the ballgame wanting to handle their press and not give enough second-shot opportunities."

Nebraska outrebounded Missouri 38-22 and shot 59 percent to just 34 percent for the Tigers.

Appearing to confuse Missouri with a 3-2 zone defense, Nebraska forced one missed jumper after another as Anderson, Diaz and Sek Henry helped fashioned a 16-1 run in the first 10 minutes of the game. Missouri never recovered.

Anderson hit a jumper and then drilled a 3-pointer that made it 15-8. A 3-pointer by Eshaunte Jones a moment later put the Huskers on top 20-9.

Henry, fouled by Steve Moore, capped the surge with a pair of free throws and a 26-9 lead that silenced the huge pro-Missouri crowd.

Missouri got as close as eight points once, but Nebraska quickly built the lead back into double digits.