Stats & coverage � Box score

Dec. 31, 2002
 
Johnson Carries Huskers to 63-60 Victory
 
Lincoln - Nate Johnson scored 10 of his 12 points in the final 2:45 minutes to lift Nebraska to a 63-60 win over Eastern Washington in front of 6,114 at Devaney Center Tuesday afternoon.

A junior college transfer from Penn Valley Community College, Johnson carried the Huskers to victory in the waning minutes, scoring 10 of NU’s final 11 points, hitting his final four shots from the floor and adding 2-of-3 from the line, as the Huskers overcame a three-point deficit to improve to 6-5 on the season.

Trailing 55-52, Johnson tied the score with a 3-point play before sinking a leaning drive in the lane with 2:15 left, giving NU the lead for good. The 6-2 guard took command at both ends of the court, as he blocked a shot on the Eagles’ next possession before snuffing out EWU’s final chance with a steal with 0.4 seconds left.

Johnson was one of three Huskers to finish in double figures, as NU got strong performances from freshman guard Jason Dourisseau and sophomore Corey Simms. Dourisseau finished with a game-high 19 points in 34 minutes, while Simms tied a career high with 10 points, six rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes.

Eastern Washington started the game on fire, hitting eight of their first 10 shots from the field to lead by as many as 11 points in the opening minutes. After spotting the Huskers a 2-0 lead, EWU scored 10 straight points, connecting on three of their first four three-pointers in the run, including a pair by Branson Merritt, who paced EWU with 14 points.

The Huskers began to rally behind the strong play of Dourisseau, who was pressed into early duty, as guards Jake Muhleisen and Brennon Clemmons picked up a pair of early fouls. Muhleisen, who is second on the Huskers with 13.2 ppg, was plagued with foul trouble and finished with four points, his lowest point total of the year, in 19 minutes.

Dourisseau, a freshman who has averaged 4.6 ppg entering the contest, came off the bench to trigger the Husker comeback, scoring 10 of NU’s first 21 points, including a pair of three-pointers. Simms added a pair of driving baskets to cap the 11-0 run, turning a seven-point deficit into a 25-21 advantage.

Dourisseau and junior Andrew Drevo, who scored all eight of his points in the first half, combined for 20 of NU’s 33 first-half points, as the Huskers took a 33-30 lead into the half.

In the second half, EWU cut the Husker lead to 44-42 before NU scored five straight points to take its largest lead of the half at 49-42 on a pair of Simms free throws. The visitors came right back with a 7-0 spurt of their own, as Jeremy McCullough bucket and a Merritt three pointer trimmed the lead to 49-47 before Alvin Snow’s steal and layup tied the score, forcing NU Coach Barry Collier to take a time out.

The Eagles took the lead at 53-52 on an Marc Axton 3-pointer and led 55-52 before Johnson, who had two points and played just three minutes of the second half, began to take over down the stretch.

Eastern Washington, which was chosen to win the Big Sky Conference in the league’s preseason poll, placed three players in double figures, led by Merritt’s 14 points. Chris Hester and Alvin Snow also added 13 and 10 points, respectively, as the Eagles dropped to 7-6 on the year.

The Huskers continue their homestand on Saturday, Jan. 4, when Nebraska plays host to Denver at 2:05 p.m.

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Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.