Stats & coverage � Box score

Jan. 7, 2003
 
Simms' Career Night Paces Huskers to Win
 
Nebraska postgame notes:
** The Huskers are now 6-1 at home and have won 13 of their last 15 at home against non-conference teams. NU is 26-11 at home under coach Collier.

** Sophomore Corey Simms set a career-high with 20 points, including 14 in the first half. Simms, whose previous season and career best was 10 points (set three other times in 2002-03 including the past two games) hit eight of 11 shots from the floor and also grabbed eight rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.

** Nebraska has held eight opponents to 60 points or less this season, as the Huskers are allowing just 62.1 points per game at the Devaney Center this season.

** Nebraska held Lipscomb to 35 percent shooting from the field, marking the eighth time this year that the Huskers have held an opponent to under 40 percent shooting from the field.

** Nebraska’s 39-point first half equalled NU’s second-highest first-half total of the season and the most since the Huskers scored 41 against Minnesota on Dec. 8. The Huskers also scored 39 points in the first half of its season opener against Centenary on Nov. 21.

** The Huskers hit 50.0 percent (14-of-28) in the first half, the second-highest total NU has hit in the opening period this season. NU’s season high in the first half was 51.7 percent (15-of-29) in the season opener against Centenary.

** Junior Brian Conklin scored a season-high 10 points, including a pair of three pointers and all four foul shots. His previous season high was eight points on two occasions, most recently against Minnesota on Dec. 8.

** Conklin moved into ninth place on the NU career three-pointer chart as he hit 2-of-3 three-point attempts against Lipscomb. Conklin now has 96 treys in his career, moving ahead of Jamar Johnson who had 95 from 1992-94.

** Sophomore John Turek recorded his second career double-double, and second double-double of the season, with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Turek had his first career double-double against IPFW, when he had 18 points and 11 rebounds.

** Nebraska is now 7-0 against Division I Independent teams all-time, including a 3-0 mark this season (def. Centenary, def. IPFW and def. Lipscomb).

** Several players had career highs and season highs against the Bisons. Freshman guard Jason Dourisseau tied his career high in the first half when he pulled down three rebounds, all on the defensive end. Freshman center Tony Wilbrand recorded his first career blocked shot late in the first half, and Wilbrand and sophomore Marques McCarty each had career highs with four and two rebounds apiece, respectively.

** Sophomore guard Jake Muhleisen had five assists to lead the Huskers for a team-high ninth time this year. Muhleisen has had four games this season with at least five assists and now has 14 five-assist games in his career.

** Turek led the team on the boards, as NU outrebounded the Bisons 46-37. Nebraska has outrebounded nine of its 13 opponents this season, and had one tie. Last year, the Huskers outrebounded their opponent on just six occasions.

Nebraska Head Coach Barry Collier
Opening Statement
"Corey Simms played an excellent game for us. I thought we lost some focus at different times in the game. We had pretty good defense in the first half and shot the ball pretty well in the first half, and we weren’t able to maintain that in the second half.

You are certainly happy to be able to win. When we don’t play well for a period of time, it is disappointing. I thought we played hard, but not smart. I was disappointed that we were not as sharp as we want to be."

On the lead
"We haven’t had much of a lead in a game and we got that, and we didn’t keep that."

On Nate Johnson
"We had to go with a different lineup with Nate out. We played some of the young guys. Nate had a stomach virus, and we are hopeful that it is just 24 or 48 hours. He came down with it yesterday and is feeling better."

On momentum going into conference play
"I think you always want to try to play better and better game after game. We played a better first half than we have, but we lost that in the second half. We need to simply focus on what we need to improve on. This is a tough assignment. Kansas is a tough team and we are a work in progress."

Forward John Turek
Overall
"I think you always want to try to play better and better game after game. We played a better first half than we have, but we lost that in the second half. We need to simply focus on what we need to improve on. This is a tough assignment. Kansas is a tough team and we are a work in progress."

On tonight’s game
"This is the most disappointed I have ever been after a win. In the locker room, it didn’t even feel like we had won the game. We did not play smart basketball tonight. We played with intensity and hustle, but just not smart."

On playing the final non-conference game of the season
"I think that tonight being our last non-conference game had a little something to do with our play. I think some of the guys might have been looking past the game tonight. We all love to play at Kansas, and we are looking forward to starting the Big 12 season."

On play of Corey Simms
"I think it was huge for Corey to play so well tonight to give him confidence going into conference play. He has had career highs in the past couple of games and is playing phenomenally for us right now. He is aggressive on the boards and taking the ball to the hoop. He is an awesome threat for us right now."

Guard Corey Simms
On tonight’s game
"We didn’t play the best we could tonight, and we made a lot of mental errors. We had a lot of guys see minutes that do not normally play. We didn’t take this opponent as we would a Big 12 opponent, and we should have. We slacked a little and that hurt us in the long run."

On entering the conference season with eight wins
"It is nice to have eight wins and it always feels good to win and to improve from the last couple of years. Now we have to go into the Big 12 and try to win more games during that part of the season."

Lipscomb Coach Scott Sanderson
Overall:
"We really tried to focus on our execution tonight, regardless of what the score was. I thought that we did a better job of that in the second half and when we went into our half court offense. We wanted to get good shots and run our plays. I also thought that we got some good transition baskets in the second half. Nebraska had a size advantage tonight. They were a lot bigger than most of the teams we had seen so far this season, but I’m proud of the way that our guys competed. We never gave up."

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Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.