Stats & coverage � Box score

Dec. 5, 2002
 
Husker Men's Basketball Drops Tough 65-60 Decision To South Florida
 
Tampa, Fla. ---- Playing on the road for the fourth time in its first five games, the Nebraska men’s basketball team dropped a tough, 65-60 contest against South Florida here Thursday in front of a national television audience.

Nebraska (2-3) got on the board first on John Turek’s jumper with just 44 seconds off the clock. USF (4-0) then came back with a 7-2 run to take a three-point lead, but neither team was able to get a big run going in the first half. The Huskers eventually fell behind by eight at the break as USF used an 11-4 run over the final five minutes of the period to take a 31-23 advantage into the locker room.

The Huskers stormed out after the intermission, hitting seven of their first 14 shots to get back within three points at 41-38 with 13:40 to play. Junior Andrew Drevo, who led the Huskers with a career-high 15 points, had three straight baskets for Nebraska in the run. NU went on to hit 48.4 percent (15-of-31) from the floor in the second half.

With just inside 12 minutes remaining in the game, the Huskers pushed hard to erase an eight-point Bulls’ lead. Junior guard Nate Johnson scored five straight points before Drevo hit a three-pointer to tie it at 48-all with 9:23 to play. Drevo finished 3-of-8 from three-point range, after hitting just two treys in his first three games.

USF’s Reggie Kohn and Will McDonald, who finished with a team-high 14 points apiece, rallied the Bulls. The pair hit back-to-back three-pointers to put South Florida back in command at 54-48 with 8:05 to play.

Nebraska would not give up, as the Huskers pulled within three, 58-55, on a Corey Simms’ layup with 1:57 to play. Kohn hit a three-pointer and Johnson came back with a basket before the Huskers went cold, missing their next four shots, including three from behind the arc. USF then hit 4-of-6 free throw attempts in the final minute to seal the victory.

In one of its most physical games of the young season, the Huskers outrebounded the Bulls, 47-38, with Turek, Simms, Muhleisen and Drevo posting career-highs on the glass. Turek already had his season high at the half with 10 boards, before finishing with a game-high 16 rebounds. Simms surpassed his career high with 10 boards while Muhleisen and Drevo each had seven rebounds.

Nebraska returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 8 at the Devaney Center when they take on nationally ranked and undefeated Minnesota. The game between the Huskers and Golden Gophers tip off at 2:05 p.m. and the game will be heard live on the Pinnacle Sports Network and at Huskers.com.

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Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.