Stats & coverage � Box score

Feb. 18, 2003
 
Tigers Top Huskers, 67-50
 
Lawrence, Kan. --- Playing in their first conference game of the season, the Nebraska men’s basketball team stuck with Kansas for nearly all of the first half before seeing the Jayhawks run away with their 22nd straight conference win, as NU fell 92-59 here Saturday.

Nebraska (8-6, 0-1 Big 12) which had its season-high three-game winning streak snapped, saw the Jayhawks use a 20-5 run to open the second period to put the game away. Senior Kirk Hinrich led four Jayhawks in double-figures with 28 points while Jeff Graves added a double-double with 11 points and 12 boards.

The Huskers were led by juniors Brian Conklin and Nate Johnson, who each finished with 12 points. For Conklin, it was the second straight game he set a season high, as he had 10 points against Lipscomb on Tuesday. Conklin added a team-high eight rebounds, also a season high.

Nebraska was forced into 14 second-half turnovers by the Jayhawk pressure, which intensified when NU guard Jake Muhleisen left the game midway through the first half. Muhleisen, who was the team’s third-leading scorer and leading assist man, injured his lower back and groin after falling hard to the floor when driving for his only points of the game. Muhleisen did not return in the second half.

With Muhleisen out, junior Nate Johnson took over the point, but was pressured heavily as KU limited Nebraska to just 10 points in the first nine minutes of the second half. Junior Andrew Drevo had NU’s first basket when he hit a three-pointer to open the period, but the Huskers didn’t score again for another five minutes as the Jayhawks opened a 58-31 lead behind an 18-0 run. The run was the longest NU had allowed this season.

NU, which came into the game ranked 11th in the nation in field-goal percentage defense, allowed KU to hit 46.4 percent from the floor while the Jayhawks held a 46-34 advantage on the glass. NU had tied the Jayhawks on the boards in the first period, 21-21.

Nebraska kept pace through the first 15 minutes of the game, as sophomore John Turek led the way with six points. KU stormed out front in the final five minutes of the period as Hinrich started to heat up. Hinrich finished the first period with19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-3 from three-point range.

Nebraska is next in action on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at the Devaney Center for their Big 12 home opener against Texas A&M. The game will tip off at 7:05 p.m. and will be heard live on the Pinnacle Sports Network. 9.

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Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.