Colorado Buffs Slog Through Easy Win Against Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks

BOULDER, CO - Colorado mostly went through the motions Wednesday night in dispatching outmanned Maryland Eastern Shore 92-65 at the Coors Events Center.

If there is an upside, this is it: Even in going through the motions against an inferior opponent, the motions might be getting better - a promising sign with Big 12 Conference play only 10 days away.

But first-year CU Coach Tad Boyle had trouble seeing it that way. He shouldered the blame for a lackluster start that seeped through most of the opening half until the Buffs got their heads, ah, back into their assignments.



UMES INCONSISTENT IN 92-65 LOSS AT COLORADO

BOULDER, Colo. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team showed a lot of fight but were overcome by inconsistency as they fell, 92-65, to the University of Colorado Wednesday night at the Coors Events Center.

Redshirt junior Hillary Haley (Oxon Hill, Md.) tallied 18 points in the loss on 7-of-12 shooting from the field. Haley also chipped in four rebounds and a steal on the night. Senior Kevin White (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added in 12 points while junior Dishawn Bradshaw (Baltimore, Md.) had 11 of his own. Tonight's game marks the third consecutive double-figure scoring effort by both Bradshaw and Haley.

The Hawks (3-9) were led in rebounding by junior Tyler Hines (Sicklerville, N.J.), who had seven in the contest (five defensive).

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Prairie View to play at Kansas in WNIT

PVAMU Lady Panthers Coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke faces University of Kansas in first round of WNIT. Kansas enters the tournament with a 15-15 overall record and a 5-11 Big 12 mark.

LAWRENCE, KS -- The University of Kansas women's basketball team, under sixth-year head coach Bonnie Henrickson, has been selected to play in the postseason Women's NIT for the third-consecutive season. The Jayhawks will host Prairie View A&M on Wednesday, March 17 in Allen Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. The postseason appearance is Kansas' fourth under Henrickson and the 20th in school history. The Jayhawks, who went 4-1 in last season's WNIT, collected wins over Creighton, Arkansas, New Mexico and Illinois State before falling in the title game to South Florida.

Prairie View A&M, enters Wednesday's game with a 15-13 overall mark and a 12-6 mark in Southwestern Athletic Conference play. The Lady Panthers finished second in the SWAC, but fell in the first round of the conference tournament to Alabama State. Prairie View A&M is coached by the legendary Cynthia Cooper-Dyke and is led by Candice Thomas with 14.8 points per game, while Dominique Smith pours 13.6 points a game.

Printable 2010 WNIT Bracket: Women's NIT Schedule and Bracket ...

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Jackson State 41, Nebraska 57

Huskers beat winless Jackson State

His Huskers won again Saturday night to move to 8-2, but Doc Sadler is far from happy. The Nebraska basketball coach knows his team is three weeks away from a rude awakening, so forgive him if he isn’t able to celebrate a 16-point victory over winless Jackson State. “I don’t know if we took a step forward tonight in any area, except that we got the win,” Sadler said. “There’s not another positive thing.”

For Sadler, the Huskers’ 57-41 win Saturday night at the Devaney Sports Center was just one more chance for NU to prepare for Jan. 9, a day he certainly isn’t looking forward to. Nebraska takes on Texas A&M in College Station, Tex., that day to kick off its Big 12 Conference schedule, and the fourth-year coach knows the seven newcomers he played Saturday night are far from ready for that challenge. “We’re playing too many guys who have no idea what’s fixing to hit them,” he said. “It’s been too easy for them. If these guys are going be playing minutes, they better get ready.”

Attendance: 9,358

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Oklahoma State Cowboys 52, Grambling State Tigers 6

Cowboys climb two spots in AP poll

Following Saturday's 56-6 win over Grambling State, the Oklahoma State Cowboys improved two spots in this week's Associated Press poll, released Sunday. OSU (3-1) is ranked No. 14 after spending the last two weeks at No. 16. The Cowboys reached a high of No. 5 in the AP after beating Georgia to start the season, but fell to 16th with the loss to Houston. The Cougars, who beat Texas Tech Saturday night, are No. 12 this week. Florida remained No. 1, with Texas second, Alabama third, LSU fourth and Boise State fifth.




Slideshow: Oklahoma State Football vs Grambling

Offensive line gets back to the basics in victory

Oklahoma State running back Keith Toston’s only job is to run through the gaps that his offensive line makes, so he knows those spaces well. Against Grambling State on Saturday, he noticed his job was somewhat easier than usual. “The holes were a little bit bigger than normal,” he said. OSU’s much-needed crushing of Grambling State helped to improve the performance and mood of the Cowboy offensive line, but there’s still a long way to go. OSU racked up 56 points on the Tigers’ defense and totaled 587 yards of total offense. The running game, where offensive lines shine in their blocking ability, was key for OSU’s victory. The Cowboys had 43 carries for 321 yards.

“Of course, those are the type of numbers you like, we prefer not to pass that ball at all,” senior offensive tackle Russell Okung said. “You’re just seeing things all come together and things starting to work. We are still a ways off, but we are seeing improvement each week.” But all of the line’s responsibilities don’t lie within the running game. Quarterback Zac Robinson needs time to make a read and find the right receiver in the passing game. The O-line fended off the GSU defense, allowing Robinson to go 13 of 16 for 189 of OSU’s 266 passing yards.



Rookies play well

If Oklahoma State had any questions about the future of its running attack, they were answered on Saturday night. True freshman Jeremy Smith saw the first action of his collegiate career and set a record for the most rushing yards ever by an Oklahoma State freshman in his first game. The Tulsa Union product carried the ball 15 times for 160 yards and one touchdown, becoming the third Oklahoma State running back to record more than 100 yards in a freshman debut. Smith is at the top of the list.

Terry Miller held the previous record of 128 yards against Wichita State in 1974. Vernand Morency ran for 108 yards against Louisiana Tech in 2002. But Oklahoma State expected this from the running back, whose redshirt was removed Saturday. “I think everybody on the team saw that one coming,” quarterback Zac Robinson said. “He can make you miss and has great speed.”

Oklahoma State rolls past Grambling 56-6

Saturday night went about as expected. Oklahoma State dominated the football game. Grambling State’s marching band dominated halftime. Next up for the 16th-ranked Cowboys after their 56-6 rout over the lower-division Tigers is some much-needed rest. Perhaps never before in the history of OSU football could a bye week have been more well-timed. With all due respect to the visitors from northern Louisiana, getting to play Grambling essentially equates to a bye-and-a-half for the Cowboys as they enter Big 12 play with a 3-1 record. OSU is nicked up, and among the injured are three players who many categorized as preseason All-Americans — wide receiver Dez Bryant (hamstring), cornerback/kick returner Perrish Cox (shoulder) and running back Kendall Hunter (ankle). None of the aforementioned played against the Tigers, nor did starting defensive end Jermiah Price.



OSU notebook: Cowboys defense shines, too

While the OSU offense featured old and new stars in rolling up big yards and points, the Cowboys defense did its job, too. Grambling State managed just 156 total yards, 66 of which came in the fourth quarter against mostly reserves. The Tigers scored with two field goals, one coming after an OSU turnover. "I think anytime you play a game, you’d like to get a shutout,” said Cowboys defensive coordinator Bill Young. "We didn’t get that done. But we hold them to two field goals, and we feel awful good about that. And we were able to play a lot of people.” For what it’s worth, the Tigers entered the game as the second-ranked scoring offense in the SWAC, averaging 32 points a game.

Loud and proud
The Grambling band, considered quite a bonus in the visit by the Louisiana program, did not disappoint, although there was some concern before the game even began. The band actually exited the stadium just before kickoff. While gone, OSU security and police emptied a scattering of fans from the section devoted to the visiting band. Eventually, the Grambling band returned and delivered on its halftime show to a rousing response, playing – and dancing – to Michael Jackson’s "Thriller.”

Just what the doctor ordered

Two of Oklahoma State’s preseason All-Americans attended the game in street clothes. Several other Cowboys also were no-shows Saturday against Grambling State. The highlight for many of the record crowd of 56,901 came when neither team was on the field (Grambling State’s Tiger Band was worth the price of a ticket, by the way). And with all the that the game against the Tigers couldn’t have gone any better if OSU coach Mike Gundy had scripted it. Well, maybe he did. I would imagine in his dreams he envisioned something like a 56-6 win where everybody wearing an OSU uniform got a chance to play and nobody got hurt any more than they already were.

Saturday’s victory over Grambling was the perfect cure to what had been ailing the Cowboys the past two weeks. It was a win that should put a little swagger back in a team that had plenty of it coming off its win against Georgia to open the season.

Pickens Drills Deep Into Pockets for Oklahoma State Victories

Stillwater, OK -- T. Boone Pickens has donated $284 million to Oklahoma State University’s sports program the past six years and the billionaire oilman and hedge-fund manager says he’s confident his investment is about to pay off. His money renovated the stadium that bears his name, beefed up recruiting and now is helping win more football games. The Cowboys, ranked No. 9 by the Associated Press before the season started, opened with a 24-10 victory over No. 13 University of Georgia.

Pickens, a 1951 graduate of the Stillwater, Oklahoma, school, said the money has been spent well. Now the 81-year-old, who Forbes magazine reported in March had a net worth of $2 billion, is looking for the Cowboys to earn a slot in one of the five Bowl Championship Series postseason games. “I expect to get there,” Pickens said in an interview Sept. 4. “We have a good football team this year. If we can stay healthy, we’re going to be tough.”

Oklahoma State’s bid for a trip to this season’s national championship game took a hit in the second game of the season after it blew a fourth-quarter lead and lost to the University of Houston, 45-35. The Cowboys are ranked 16th in the AP poll this week after beating Rice, 41-24, Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium.

ATTENDANCE: (Stadium Record): 56,901 Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK.

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Huskers Roll Past Florida A&M

Courtesy: NU Media Relations

Lincoln, NE – The Nebraska basketball team scored inside and out on Monday evening, as the Huskers topped 80 points for the second straight game in an 81-56 victory over Florida A&M at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. With the win, Nebraska closed the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 10-3 record. The Huskers now turn their attention to the Big 12 Conference, as NU hosts Missouri to open league play this Saturday at the Devaney Center. In a change from the original schedule, the Huskers and Tigers will tip off at 1 p.m. and the game will be televised by ESPN2.

The Huskers’ offense was firing on all cylinders in the non-conference finale, as NU hit 10 3-pointers, while shooting 47.6 percent from outside the arc and 56.6 percent overall. Down low, Nebraska outscored Florida A&M 34-8 in the paint. Sek Henry tied his season high with 19 points to lead three Huskers in double figures. Paul Velander was two shy of his season high with 12 points, while Steve Harley added 15 to score in double figures for the 11th straight game.

Ten players scored in the victory as the Husker offense continued its strong play. Nebraska has scored at least 77 points in each of its last three games after reaching that mark just once through its first 10 contests. The last time Nebraska scored at least 75 points in three straight games was in Head Coach Doc Sadler’s first season in 2006-07. The Huskers also owned a decisive edge on the glass for the second straight game. After winning the rebounding battle for the first time in five games the last time out against Maryland Eastern Shore, Nebraska enjoyed its best rebounding performance of the season against Florida A&M. The Huskers pulled down 37 boards while posting a season-best plus-14 advantage on the glass.

Defensively, Florida A&M became the ninth Husker opponent held to fewer than 60 points this season. The Rattlers managed only 56 points, despite hitting 12 3-pointers. Dale Hughes led the FAMU (2-10) with 20 points, as he connected on 6-of-8 3-point attempts. It was Nebraska who bombed away from long range early, as NU hit seven first-half 3-pointers while building a 39-23 halftime lead. Henry led the Huskers in the first half with 10 points, including two 3-pointers, while Velander nailed three treys to contribute nine points off the bench.

Nebraska sprinted to a 6-0 lead in the first 2:18 of the game, behind a Henry reverse layup and a three from the right wing and a free throw by Harley. Florida A&M cut the Huskers’ lead to one with five straight points, before Nebraska built a 14-5 lead by rattling off eight in a row and holding the Rattlers without a point for 4:25. Strong perimeter shooting drove the Huskers in an 11-3 run that gave them a 27-13 lead with 6:55 remaining in the half. After a Toney McCray basket from the right block, a three by Cookie Miller and two more threes from Henry gave Nebraska breathing room late in the half. The Huskers pushed the lead to 19, their largest of the half, at 38-19 with 1:31 remaining behind back-to-back baskets in the paint by Ade Dagunduro and a three by Velander.

Florida A&M cut the lead to 16 at the half, but despite hitting 9-of-13 second-half 3-point attempts, the Rattlers were never able to overcome the halftime deficit. They trailed by at least 16 points for the entire second half. Nebraska held Florida A&M scoreless for the first three minutes of the half while stretching the lead to 20. A quick 6-0 Husker run two minutes later pushed the lead to 49-26. The teams played even on the scoreboard for the next several minutes before another string of six straight points stretched the Nebraska lead to 63-38 with 9:24 remaining.

Even after drilling a trey on three consecutive possessions, the Rattlers still found themselves down 69-53 with five minutes remaining. Nebraska pushed the lead right back to 20 with consecutive baskets. Henry was able to match his season high by scoring five straight in the closing minutes to give NU a 78-56 advantage. A McCray layup with 23 seconds remaining pushed the Huskers past the 80-point plateau and proved to be the final basket in the 24-point win.

Photo Album
Final Stats

Florida A&M faces final non-conference game - Nebraska

Tonight’s game against Florida A&M (2-9) could put Nebraska in first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

LINCOLN, NE — No offense to Florida A&M, Nebraska’s final nonconference basketball foe of the season tonight, but the Huskers are well into preparation for Big 12 play. Before a practice last week, coach Doc Sadler delivered a 10-minute “do-better” lecture with a list of five keys to surviving inside the conference. The first item — hard work — draws no complaints from Sadler. “I told the guys our hard work has always been there,” he said. “But the past few games, I’ve seen that we need to get the other four things going to have a chance.”

It’s a common-sense list: Sense of urgency, enthusiasm, free throws and transition defense. “We can’t control some things, like our size,” Sadler said. “But we can control all those others. And sometimes in the past few games, I haven’t seen those things taken care of like they need to.”

FAMU head coach Eugene Harris (center) and assistant coaches Reggie Sharp (r) and John "Johnny" Jones (l) are poised for a major beat down and a paycheck with the Huskers.

Tonight’s game against Florida A&M (2-9) could put Nebraska in first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Huskers beat fellow MEAC teams South Carolina State and Maryland-Eastern Shore in the past week. Nebraska (9-3) played perhaps its tidiest game of the season Saturday in routing Maryland-Eastern Shore 88-56. The Huskers shot a season-high 61.1 percent from the field and committed only three turnovers, tying the school record. Florida A&M has played two Big 12 foes, losing to Kansas State 96-57 and to Texas A&M 67-57. The Rattlers also have lost four games to Southeastern Conference teams.

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Next: FAMU vs. Howard (1-12), January 10, 7 p.m. Tallahassee

Nebraska Huskers down Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks

Courtesy: NU Media Relations

Lincoln, NE --- Senior guard Ade Dagunduro continued his torrid shooting to help Nebraska post season highs in points and field-goal percentage as the Huskers ran past Maryland Eastern Shore, 88-56, on Saturday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The 88 points were the most in a regulation game under Coach Doc Sadler, and equaled the high set against Oregon in overtime last year. The 61.1 percent shooting, which included an impressive 64.3 percent after the break, was a season high, bettering NU's previous high which came four games ago as the Huskers hit 60.9 percent against Alabama State.

To get to the season-high totals, Nebraska took care of the ball at a record pace. The Cornhuskers tied the school record with just three turnovers, matching the mark originally set in 2002 at Iowa State. NU had just one turnover at the break and notched two miscues in the second half.

The 6,146 in attendance nearly saw another record as Dagunduro came close to matching the same school mark for the second time in four games. The senior from Inglewood, Calif., hit his first eight shots from the floor before missing his last attempt on a layup off an inbounds pass. He finished the day 8-of-9 from the field, just missing the single-game school record he tied against UMBC by going 9-of-9. Over the past four games, Dagunduro has hit 26-of-32 for a scorching 81.3 percent field-goal accuracy.

Behind Dagunduro's 18 points, the Huskers blew past the Hawks, taking a 12-point halftime lead out to as many as 36 points in the final four minutes of the contest. Dagunduro was followed by Steve Harley, who had 12 points, including 10 in the first half, while 10 other Huskers scored in the contest. Nebraska blew out of the gates in the second half, hitting nine of their first 10 shots from the field to open a 60-38 lead on Paul Velander's only 3-pointer of the game with 12:00 remaining in the contest. His basket was part of a 7-0 run that came just before the Huskers' biggest defensive stand of the night.

UMES' Michael Pitt hit a 3-pointer at the 8:29 mark to pull the Hawks to 68-45 before Nebraska reeled off 13 straight points to push out to an 81-45 lead on Toney McCray's breakaway dunk. McCray got free with the ball after collecting his career-high fourth steal of the game, one of 12 Husker thefts in the contest. Sadler cleared his bench just seconds later and the third team did a solid job, holding UMES to just two baskets in the final four minutes.

Box score

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Next: Nebraska vs. Florida A&M, Monday, Jan. 5, 7 p.m., Devaney Center,
Lincoln, NE.

Next: UMES at Oklahoma, Norman, OK, Monday, Jan 5, 7 p.m. ET; TV: Sooner Sports Network.

#4 Oklahoma shoots down Coppin State Eagles, 93-62

Coppin State University head basketball coach Ron 'Fang' Mitchell and the Eagles faces Big 12 -Missouri (12-2) next in a January 6th game televised by Fox Sports Midwest.

Coppin State has now lost 32 straight games vs. ranked opponents.

Oklahoma vs. Coppin State Basketball Photo Gallery
Final Stats

NORMAN, OK -- Oklahoma was looking for a fast start on Saturday, and Tony Crocker was more than happy to provide it. The junior guard scored 15 of his team-high 20 points in the opening half, helping the fourth-ranked Sooners roll to a 93-62 win over Coppin State. Four days earlier at Arkansas, the Sooners (13-1) lost for the first time when they fell behind 21-8 early and trailed by as many as 25 before mounting a frantic comeback.

Although Coppin State (2-11) did not figure to present a challenge for Oklahoma, coach Jeff Capel was adamant about his team opening the game with more energy. "We definitely wanted to get off to a good start -- play with a sense of urgency. I thought we did that today," said Capel, whose team opened with an 11-2 run and never trailed. Crocker, who hit six 3-pointers and scored 18 points in the loss to Arkansas, played a key role early by burying a 3 just 16 seconds in, and added three more 3-pointers before the half. Crocker's fourth 3 of the half pushed OU's lead to 31-11, and Willie Warren followed seconds later with another 3-point basket that kept the Lloyd Noble Center crowd on its feet.

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Next: OU closes out the non-conference portion of its regular season schedule at home against MEAC foe (2-8) Maryland Eastern Shore (Monday at 7 p.m.). "When" Oklahoma wins, it will post the best regular season non-conference record (14-1) since 1987-88 (15-1).