LINCOLN A big one got away from Nebraska Wednesday night.
Trying to win four out of five games for the first time in Big 12 Conference play since 1999, the Cornhuskers fell flat at the finish in an 86-78 overtime loss to Missouri at the Devaney Sports Center.
The loss, especially after Nebraska had defeated a short-handed Missouri squad 66-62 back on Jan. 30 at Columbia, Mo., was particularly difficult to swallow for Cornhuskers' coach Doc Sadler.
"It's huge," Sadler said. "You gave away everything that you got when you went down there and beat them. That win doesn't mean anything (now).
"To have a chance, you've got to get somebody a couple of times and that was one of the teams that we could've got."
That "chance" Sadler referred to was Nebraska's outside shot at a NCAA Tournament bid. It's a goal that certainly appears to be fading now for the Huskers (14-8, 3-6 Big 12).
"It was definitely a game that we needed to win for our hopes in the NCAA Tournament," Nebraska guard Steve Harley said. "It's just a tough loss."
It was made even tougher for the Huskers due to some curious gaffes.
After watching Aleks Maric score a season-high 32 points in regulation, including 24 in the second half, the Huskers essentially froze their 6-foot-11 senior post player out of the offense in overtime. Missouri (14-11, 4-6) scored the first nine points of the extra period before Ryan Anderson hit a 3-pointer with 1:03 to play.
Why didn't Maric get the ball in OT?
"That was my fault, I guess," Sadler said. "We just didn't get it to him. He was plenty open."
In hindsight, Harley said not being able to continue finding Maric in the low post was Nebraska's most critical mistake.
"(Missouri) couldn't stop him," Harley said. "I don't know we should've gotten him the ball. It was tough.
"Their guards started pressuring more and got into the basketball a little more so we couldn't feed it in to him."
Missouri coach Mike Anderson credited the play of his team's 2-3 zone defense, which he said didn't allow the Huskers to penetrate.
"We did a better job of matching up with people and not letting Maric just post up," Anderson said. "He was pinning a lot. I thought our pressure on the ball was a little better."
Nebraska cut its deficit to 82-78 on Anderson's second 3-pointer of the overtime with 32 seconds to go, but the Huskers couldn't get any closer. Missouri was 9-of-12 from the free-throw line in OT to seal the victory.
"We didn't defend at all in the overtime," Sadler said. "Then you're playing catch-up."
Sadler said another defensive lapse late in the first half also loomed large for Nebraska. After the Huskers took a 28-21 lead on a Harley jumper, Missouri went on a 20-2 run to lead 41-30 at halftime, shooting 53.8 percent in the first 20 minutes.
"You're not going to win any basketball games, giving up 41 points at home, on the road or anywhere in the first half," Sadler said. "We hit some shots early and I think we just started thinking we were going to outscore people."
Harley helped get the Huskers into overtime, sinking a pair of free throws to tie the score at 71-71 with 5.1 seconds left in regulation.
"It's confidence," Harley said when asked if he could view his two clutch free throws as a positive. "Now I know that I can make the big free throws when I need to in close situations.
"I actually felt kind of good up there. We've been getting extra free throws in practice, so it was just kind of routine."
Besides his 32 points, Maric finished with 16 rebounds to lead Nebraska with his fifth consecutive double-double. He was 12-of-14 from the free-throw line and 10-of-18 from the field for the Huskers, who shot 40.7 percent.
Harley equaled his season high with 16 points. Anderson joined Maric with a double-double, adding 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Keon Lawrence scored 19 points for Missouri. The four Tigers who missed the first meeting against Nebraska while serving a suspension Leo Lyons, Marshall Brown, Darryl Butterfield and Jason Horton combined for 34 points with Lyons scoring 12 and Brown adding 11 to help end a four-game losing streak against the Huskers.
"It was a big opportunity," Maric said. "Especially in conference play, you always go out there and try to steal one on the road and you've got to protect your home court, but the opposite happened to us tonight.
"It's tough."
Game notes
Nebraska dipped to 1-2 in OT games this season and is 12-7 in OT contests since the start of Big 12 play in 1996-97. Anderson tied his career high with 11 rebounds. Both of his double-doubles this season have come against Missouri. Harley has scored in double figures in four of Nebraska's last six games. The Huskers return to action Saturday with a 3 p.m. game at Iowa State. NU beat the Cyclones 64-56 back on Feb. 2 in Lincoln.
MISSOURI 86, NEBRASKA 78, OT
MISSOURI (14-11)
Carroll 3-5 2-3 9, Volkus 1-1 2-2 4, K.Lawrence 8-13 0-0 19, Tiller 5-9 2-4 14, M.Lawrence 2-8 0-0 6, Lyons 5-11 2-2 12, Horton 2-7 4-4 9, Anderson Jr. 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 2-5 5-6 11, Safford 0-0 0-0 0, Butterfield 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 29-60 17-21 86.
NEBRASKA (14-8)
Maric 10-18 12-14 32, Harley 5-11 4-5 16, Dagunduro 0-1 1-2 1, Miller 3-6 1-2 8, Anderson 5-16 1-2 15, Henry 1-4 4-8 6, Strowbridge 0-1 0-0 0, Velander 0-2 0-0 0, Balham 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-59 23-33 78.
HalftimeMissouri 41-30. End Of RegulationTied 71. 3-Point GoalsMissouri 11-26 (K.Lawrence 3-3, Tiller 2-4, Brown 2-5, M.Lawrence 2-8, Carroll 1-1, Horton 1-4, Lyons 0-1), Nebraska 7-20 (Anderson 4-12, Harley 2-2, Miller 1-2, Strowbridge 0-1, Henry 0-1, Velander 0-2). Fouled OutCarroll, Volkus. ReboundsMissouri 35 (Carroll 7), Nebraska 39 (Maric 16). AssistsMissouri 19 (Tiller 4), Nebraska 17 (Anderson, Dagunduro, Harley 4). Total FoulsMissouri 26, Nebraska 18. A10,108.
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