Hot-shooting Huskers defeat Savannah St.

LINCOLN - Nebraska had just crossed half court and Sek Henry, open near the top of the key, pulled up for a 3-pointer.

His shoot-before-pass thinking drew a scowl and an irate “Oh, my �” from the head coach.

Before Doc Sadler could finish, Henry's shot was going through the hoop.

“When you're hitting shots,” Henry said, grinning, “you're hitting shots.”

Henry was certainly hitting. That 3-pointer, late in the Nebraska basketball team's 81-53 rout of Savannah State on Wednesday night, capped his 7-for-7 night from the field.

It helped the Huskers in a torrid 61.2 percent shooting night, including a 68.2 percent mark in the second half, before 6,073 fans at the Devaney Sports Center. Nebraska was 11-of-23 from three-point range.

“When we shoot good shots, I think we're good shooters,” Sadler said. “I think our shot selection is getting a little bit better.”

Henry led Nebraska (10-3) with 18 points. Marcus Perry made five 3-pointers and scored 17 points. Jamel White and Aleks Maric scored 14 apiece.

All of that came without starting guard Ryan Anderson, who missed his second straight game with a lower leg strain. Sadler said Anderson hasn't improved in recent days, and his status for Saturday night's nonconference finale against Western Kentucky is, at best, questionable. Kyle Marks also didn't play because of knee soreness he experienced in pregame warmups.

Anderson's absence might be a blessing of sorts. Without him, Perry, despite battling foot soreness that's limited him in practice, has made 12 3-pointers in two games. Henry has found his touch. Even White, whom Sadler said needs to contribute more, seemed a bit more at ease, going 6-of-11 from the field.

“I would just say confidence,” Perry said, explaining Nebraska's hot shooting. “Everybody's confidence level is up. And unselfishness.”

The only drawback Wednesday, Sadler said, was his team's uncharacteristic slow start. Savannah State (6-13) built a 10-4 lead in the game's first five minutes.

Down 12-6, Nebraska responded with a 26-5 run in which Perry made three 3-pointers; Maric dunked off a backward, over-the-shoulder pass from White; and Henry scored on a nifty reverse layup.

Meanwhile, Nebraska's defense held the Tigers without a field goal for 6 minutes, 50 seconds. In their previous two games, the Huskers held Miami without a basket for 7:28, and Houston without a field goal for 14:28.

Wednesday's clamp-down helped Nebraska to a 36-19 halftime lead.

“We just started to play harder,” said Henry, who also had five assists, no turnovers, one block and a steal. “We started off flat, and we gave them easy shots. We got more into them, and they started coughing it up.”

Savannah State, playing without injured Javon Randolph, the team's leading scorer at 14.4 points per game, got no closer than 13 points in the second half. Nebraska's largest lead was the final margin of 28.

Nebraska, playing its first home game after a successful road swing through Hawaii and Florida, finishes nonconference play Saturday night against Western Kentucky.

“Overall, I'm pleased,” Sadler said. “It's been a long month.”

Nebraska 79 , Texas 75

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Kiera Hardy scored 22 of her 27 points in the second half to lead Nebraska to a 79-75 win over Texas Wednesday night in the conference opener for both teams.

The Cornhuskers (13-2, 1-0 Big 12) couldn't contain Tiffany Jackson, who finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds. But they defended the rest of the Longhorns well enough down the stretch to overcome a double-digit Texas lead.

Kelsey Griffin scored 10 of her 21 points during the first half where both teams shot 42 percent. Each team had as much as a five-point lead in the half, which ended with Texas up 34-30.

A 3-pointer from Chelsea Aubry with 5:35 left gave the Cornhuskers a 63-62 lead - their first since they were up 15-14 with 12 minutes to play in the first - and they never gave it up.

Hardy hit a 3-pointer with 1:15 left to give Nebraska a 74-70 lead. Texas (10-4, 0-1) cut it to one point several times. But late free throws from the Cornhuskers kept them on top.