[04-05] at Nebraska

작년 Nebraska 원정경기 참패를 복수했다. Keith Langford가 27점 Wayne Simien이 18점 14리바운드를 보탰다. 사실 어제 농구하고 아침에 슈퍼볼 보느라 경기가 있는 줄도 몰랐다.

이제 어느 정도 트렌드가 생겼다. 경기 초반에 상당히 약하고 후반전에 강하다. 오늘도 경기초반에 19:12까지 뒤쳐졌지만 결국 13점차로 이겼다. 선수를 고루 기용하며 체력전을 벌인 탓일지도 모르겠다.

특이할만한 것은 선수 기용이 시즌 초반과 많이 바뀌었다는 것이다. 시즌 초반에는 벤치에서 신입생들을 많이 기용했지만 요새는 고학년 선수들을 코트에 내보내고 있다. Russell Robinson 대신 Jeff Jawkins와 Michael Lee가 많은 출전시간을 갖고 있고 Moulaye Niang도 최근 들어 Darrell Jackson의 자리를 차지하고 있다. C.J. Giles와 Galindo가 부상에서 복귀하면 어떻게 될지 모르겠으나 신입생들이 전반적으로 기대에 못미치고 있다.

Big12에서 유일하게 무패이며 나머지 팀들은 다 최소 2패씩 했기 때문에 컨퍼런스 정규시즌 타이틀은 거의 땄다고 봐도 무방하다.

Highlights | photos

LINCOLN, Nebraska (Ticker) -- Keith Langford and Wayne Simien helped No. 3 Kansas defeat Nebraska more comfortably this time.

Langford matched his career high with 27 points and Simien added 18 as Kansas remained unbeaten in Big 12 Conference play with a 78-65 victory over Nebraska.

In the first meeting between the schools this season, neither Langford nor Simien scored from the field in the first half. The Cornhuskers led, 24-21, at the half in that one, but the Jayhawks (18-1, 8-0 Big 12) rallied in the second and held on for a 59-57 victory when a 3-pointer by Nebraska's Corey Simms rimmed out as time expired.

The two Kansas seniors, Langford and Simien, scored 23 points in the first half in this one and the Jayhawks led, 36-31, at the half.

Langford, who shot 10-of-15, opened the second half with back-to-back 3-pointers and added a dunk with 15:40 to play to increase the margin to 46-35. The Cornhuskers got within 64-58 with 4 1/2 minutes left but the Jayhawks' Christian Moody answered with a pair of dunks.

Simien shot 9-of-13 and grabbed 14 rebounds and Aaron Miles added eight points and seven assists for Kansas, which won its fourth straight and improved to 8-0 in conference play.

The Jayhawks shot 53 percent (32-of-60) and held the Huskers to 36 percent (21-of-58).

Jason Dourisseau scored a career-high 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting and Wes Wilkinson added 13 for Nebraska (10-9, 3-5), which has lost five of its last six conference games.

It looked as if Nebraska was going to beat Kansas at home for the second straight season when Joe McCray scored seven points and Dourisseau's layup gave the Cornhuskers a 19-12 lead 10 minutes in. But Simien scored eight points and Langford five over the next six minutes as Kansas took control, 32-26.

Nebraska beat Kansas, 74-55, at the Devaney Center last year.

McCray, a freshman and the leading scorer for the Cornhuskers at 14.7 points per game, didn't score after the early spurt and finished 2-of-10 from the floor.