Stats & coverage � Box score

Feb. 15, 2003

Huskers Shoot Well but Fall to Longhorns, 75-63
 
Lincoln ---- Senior Brennon Clemmons scored 17 points and helped the Huskers to their best field-goal percentage in nearly a month, but it was not enough as No. 6/6 Texas took a 75-63 victory over the Huskers here Saturday at the Devaney Center.

Clemmons, who had a season-high 21 points against Oklahoma State Wednesday, energized the Husker offense, hitting 6-of-10 from the floor while adding five rebounds, three assists and two steals. But sophomore Corey Simms was the only other Husker in double figures, finishing with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field.

Nebraska (9-14, 1-9 in Big 12) missed its first three shots from the floor as it fell behind 7-0 in the first 1:29 as Texas (17-4, 8-2 in Big 12) received baskets from T.J. Ford and Royal Ivey and a three-pointer by Brandon Mouton. Mouton hit 10-of-16 attempts to finish with a game-high 24 points, including 19 in the first half.

After falling behind 15-8 with 14:39 left before intermission, the Huskers started to mount a comeback. Nebraska used a 13-4 run to take a 21-19 lead on a Simms layup with 6:17 left before the break. Clemmons had seven points in the surge as the Huskers forced UT to miss 11-of-13 shot attempts while committing three turnovers.

The lead then went back and forth the next two minutes before Mouton took over down the stretch. Over the final 4:21, Mouton scored the Longhorns’ last 14 points of the period, including a pair of three-pointers, to take a 35-30 lead into the locker room.

Texas came out firing in the second half, going up by 11 in the first four minutes before extending its lead to 17, 60-43, at the 10:32 mark. Nebraska trimmed the lead to 10 twice in the final three minutes, but was unable to overcome the Longhorns’ hot shooting.

UT hit 52.2 percent in the second period to finish 26-of-57 (45.6 percent) from the field on the day. Nebraska hit 44.2 percent (23-of-52) on the afternoon and outscored the Longhorns 34-26 in the paint, but UT’s 41-30 lead on the boards turned the tide.

Sophomore John Turek and junior Andrew Drevo added nine points each while junior Nate Johnson, the team’s leading scorer, was held to eight points. NU limited Texas’ top scoring threat, T.J. Ford, to just five points after he came in averaging better than 14 points per game. Ford made up for the lack of offensive production with 10 assists, five boards and three steals, as the Longhorns remained tied for third in the league standings.

Nebraska returns to action on Tuesday, Feb. 18, when it travels to Columbia, Mo., to take on Missouri. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and will be heard on the Pinnacle Sports Network and Huskers.com.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.