Stats & coverage � Box score

Nov. 14, 2003
 
Huskers Rally for 78-73 Victory

Lincoln – Jake Muhleisen’s three-point play with 17.4 seconds remaining gave Nebraska the lead for good, as the Huskers closed the exhibition season with an 78-73 win over Athletes in Action in front of 4,859 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Friday evening.

Trailing 73-71, Muhleisen drove the lane and hit a short jumper to tie the score at 73, while drawing the foul on the play. The junior captain than calmly sank the free throw, giving the Huskers the lead for good, as closed on a 13-2 run to overcome a six-point deficit.

Behind the shooting of Joe Crispin, who scored a game-high 27 points, AIA built a 71-65 lead with 3:53 remaining in regulation. The former NBA player scored the team’s final 12 points and finished 7-of-15 from the floor, including four 3-pointers.

The Huskers would not go away, closing to within 73-71 on a jumper by Andrew Drevo, who led Nebraska with 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the floor, with 1:04 remaining. The senior from Lincoln added seven rebounds, while blocking three shots and dishing out four assists in 31 minutes of action.

Nebraska clinched the win at the foul line, as Nate Johnson, who finished with 16 points, and Muhleisen, who added 11 points, six rebounds and three assists, both nailed a pair of free throws in the final 10 seconds to thwart AIA’s comeback bid.

Trailing 76-73, AIA, which has played 10 games on its preseason tour, including wins over Nos. 20/21 Wake Forest and Washington, had a final chance to send the game into overtime, but Crispin’s apparent 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds left was waved off because of a traveling violation.

The Huskers went a perfect 11-for-11 from the foul line in the second half and finished the night hitting 18-of-19 from the charity stripe.

Marcus Neal Jr., also finished in double figures for NU, which improved to 2-0 on the exhibition campaign, with 11 points, as NU overcame a sub-par shooting performance from the field by committing only 10 turnovers and pulling a 39-30 effort on the boards.

Reed Rawlings joined Crispin as the only AIA players in double figures, scoring 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including four three pointers.

Johnson, who added five rebounds and a pair of steals, provided an early spark for the Huskers, scoring eight of his 10 first-half points in the opening five minutes, as the Huskers jumped out to a quick 15-7 advantage. NU was effective with its full court press, forcing four early turnovers. AIA came back with an 11-0 run of its own capped by a three-pointer by Eric Hickenbottom to take a 19-15 lead.

The rest of the half would see the teams battled to a stalemate, with eight time and four lead changes before AIA took a 41-39 halftime lead. The Huskers used the hot hand of Drevo, who scored all 12 of his points during a five-minute spurt late in the half.

AIA, which was just 11-of-23 from the floor, relied on clutch foul shooting, hitting 16-of-17 from the charity stripe before intermission and finished the night by connecting on 21-of-23 foul shots.

The Huskers open the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 22, when they play host to Fairleigh Dickenson at the Devaney Center. Tip-off is slated for 7:05 p.m.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.