Stone Cold - Sooners shoot season low in loss to Huskers

The Nebraska Cornhuskers (13-8, 1-50) earned their first conference victory Saturday night, 63-45, against the cold-shooting Oklahoma Sooners (12-9, 3-4). In the process, the ‘Huskers avoided their worst conference start since the 1962-1963 season and sent the visiting Sooners home with their lowest point total since back-to-back losses to Nebraska and Texas in 2008.

Brandon Richardson scored 12 of his team-leading 16 points in the second half as Nebraska won for the first time since a January 5 victory over Southeastern Louisiana.

Richardson scored seven straight points for the Huskers during one stretch of the second half and finished 6 for 11 from the field.

Ryan Anderson added 11 points and Jorge Brian Diaz added 10 for the ‘Huskers, who shot 52% for the game, including 5-11 (45%) from three-point range.

Despite picking up two early fouls and spending a majority of the first half on the bench, Oklahoma’s Cade Davis scored 13 points to lead the Sooners. Tommy Mason-Griffin, who has been hot of late, scoring 38 against Iowa State on Wednesday and averaging 28.3 in his previous three games, managed only nine.

Oklahoma’s pre-season All-American and leading scorer, Willie Warren, and senior Tony Crocker returned to action after missing the Iowa State game and combined for nine points on just 2 of 9 shooting.

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Oklahoma missed 10 of its first 11 shots en route to shooting a dismal 30% in the first half. The Sooners’ 20 1 st half points were its lowest first half total this season.

Despite trailing throughout, Oklahoma managed to stay within striking distance going into the half.

The Sooners cut Nebraska’s lead to one when Mason-Griffin found Andrew Fitzgerald for an uncontested lay in. Nebraska answered, finishing the half on an 8-0 run and then extended their lead early in the second half while taking a commanding 35-22 lead.

Nebraska shot 52% in the second half and 44% for the game after shooting under 40% their past three games. Oklahoma totaled 30% in the first half and 35% for the game, including an 8-22 (36%) effort from three-point range.

Nebraska won the rebounding margin 36-27.

Tipoff was pushed back from noon to 7 pm because an ice storm delayed the team’s flight out of Oklahoma.

Nebraska returns to action back at home Tuesday evening against Kansas State. Oklahoma has a week off before hosting 6 th ranked Texas at 3 pm CST Saturday.

By Michael Roark
Big12-fans.com Oklahoma Sooners Correspondent

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