Nebraska at Mizzou: Live Thread

...that a) ESPN360 doesn't have the game on tape delay, and b) I get ESPN360 again...so I may actually be able to comment during the game.

...and Matt Lawrence is 0-for-3.  Uh oh.

...9-5 NU. MU really not playing too bad, but the shots they're getting are the best shots they're going to get, so it would behoove them to start making them.  Oh, and Keon needs to do something.

...15-12 NU.  NU has decided to attack MU's main weaknesses--no size, no bench--by yanking up 3-pointer after 3-pointer.  Guess it's only fair...after we had Brad Smith throw 50 passes in a hard wind in Lincoln in '04...

Hey, Mike!

...23-16 NU.  We've cracked open our bench, and bad things have begun to happen.  That, and we don't actually know how to handle the ball.  JT Tiller's still playing well...

...SPLASH!!

...26-23 with about 4 left.  Mizzou on a mini-run...

...29-23 NU.  Safford's not passing the open audition so far.  I'm off to shower...so somebody can talk to themselves for a while.  :-)

Mizzou hanging tough so far.  NU is 6-for-16 from 3-point range and 6-for-19 from 2-point range...so they might as well keep yanking them up there.  

NU is only outrebounding MU 20-16, another small victory for Mizzou...  

Maric has 11 pts, 9 boards, but honestly...it's a quiet 11 and 9, if that makes any sense...

Fouls: NU 12, MU 4.  Either Mizzou's playing extremely smart, or the refs know that we'd have to forfeit in the second half if fouls are called on us like normal.  Having watched the first half, I say it's a little of both.

Fouls on Volkus/Carroll/Safford: 0.  If I'm a poster at Corn Nation, I'm crying conspiracy...

JT Tiller (10 points on 9 shots, 4 rebounds) has been aggressive and strong, but we're going to need something from Keon (0-for-3 FG's, 2 fouls) in the 2nd half.  Anything at all.

Berardini (clap clap, clap-clap)...Berardini (clap clap, clap-clap)...

...to start the second half.  Not good.

...the refs realized the fouls were imbalanced.  Three fouls on Mizzou in two NU possessions.

...though #4 was well-earned.  Meanwhile, Keon (my favorite player on the team, mind you) looks like he's playing in protest of his fallen colleagues.  He hasn't done a damn thing and has no bounce in his step.

Yup...I reverse jinxed him.  He just beat everybody downcourt for a layup.  Well done, Keon.

...36-36.  Tigers are busting their asses right now...and the refs have (knock on wood) swallowed their whistles once again.

...and Carroll's in a rhythm.  Double-double for Demarre...

Not quite ready for prime time.  Love the effort, though.

...41-38 Huskers.  The effort's there, but the talent is not.  We still need a lot more from Keon...Carroll's not going to carry the offense for too much longer.

...MU hanging tough.  Guys like Volkus are starting to believe, and the crowd's getting more and more into it...come on boys...

...I LOVE LOVE LOVE the ESPNU commercial with the Ohio State and Michigan fans on the blind date.  "Go Buckeyes!  GO BUCKEYES!!  WOOHOOOHOO!!!"

...gets his pocket picked and busts ass to get back down the court...then stays down a while.  Four quick points by NU have them up 51-46 with 10:24 left...

...and it's NU by 1.  MU won't go away, but really, neither will NU.  Both teams trade 4-point runs, but nobody connects on a 6- or 8-point uppercut.  That's probably all it would take to take this one.

...and Matt Lawrence appears to be tiring.  Keon's starting to get some extra pep in his step...and it appears he stole it from Matt.

In comes Mike Anderson Jr, right on cue...

...NU by 6 with 6:27 left...making a little run...

Meanwhile, Greg Oden is freaking huge.  He looks even bigger with the bigger hair.

...58-56 with 4:14 left.  Volkus has 10.  NU looks as tired as MU.

Maric with 4 fouls, possession arrow in favor Mizzou...

Carroll baited him perfectly on that one...60-58 NU, 2:20 left, Mizzou ball after the timeout...

...I'll be disappointed if anybody else comments on this thread.

...NU took the lead, 62-60, then the refs decided "Under a minute left, so what we've called a foul all game long is no longer a foul," and Keon's drive to tie missed horribly.  Timeout NU with the ball, 48.6 seconds left...

...and just like that, it's over.  Mizzou plays perfect defense, forces a bad shot, and gets the ball back with a chance to tie or take the lead with 20 seconds left...and Tiller throws it right to an NU guy shooting the gap...NU guy gets a layup, Mizzou throws up a quick 3 and misses, and now NU's at the line up 4 with 7.5 seconds left.  Sucks that it had to be Tiller who did that, as he's been Mizzou's steadiest player all night.  He's just not a ball handler.

...that Doc Sadler should be very happy to come away with a win because they didn't play very well at all.  That's true of Maric, but not necessarily true of a couple guys I'd never heard of.  Oh well.

...sigh.

that was probably the best effort i have seen from this team all year.  tiller played an excellent game.  he's not a very good ball handler obviously and it also was apparent on some of his passes that he wasn't that in sync with his teammates.  a starting backcourt of tiller and keon looks pretty good next year (if keon can break out of his funk that is).  

it was just great to see some excitement from this team again.  its horrible to say but maybe losing hannah will actually be good for this team.

plus our defense was pretty freakin good in that zone (aside from the ridiculous percentage that neb shot from behind the arc).  maybe mike anderson will take something from this game as to how they play defense.  maybe 40 minutes of full court press isn't the best system for the big 12...?