Griffin scores 18, leads third-ranked, unbeaten Nebraska to 77-52 rout over Kansas

By Eric Olson, AP
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

No. 3 Nebraska routs Kansas 77-52

LINCOLN, Neb. — Kelsey Griffin scored 18 points as third-ranked Nebraska beat Kansas 77-52 on Wednesday night.

Nebraska (28-0, 15-0 Big 12), which clinched the Big 12 regular-season championship a week ago, would become the second team in the conference’s 13-year history to go unbeaten in league play if it wins Saturday at Kansas State. Oklahoma did it first in 2005-06.

The Cornhuskers led by 20 points in the first half and by 31 with nine minutes left. They posted their 11th win by 20 points or more and handed the Jayhawks (15-13, 5-10) their most lopsided loss of the season.

Dominique Kelley added 16 points, Lindsey Moore 14 and Cory Montgomery 12 for Nebraska.

Monica Engelman and Annette Davis scored nine points apiece to lead Kansas. Carolyn Davis, who had 17 against Nebraska in the team’s first meeting, was held scoreless.

Nebraska scored the first nine points and used an 11-2 run to go up 30-12. The bulge grew to 20 points late in the first half, and the Huskers led 49-32 at the break. It was the most points Kansas has given up in a half, and the Jayhawks’ biggest halftime deficit of the season.

The largest and most successful senior class in program history was honored in a pregame Senior Night ceremony. Griffin, Montgomery, Yvonne Turner, Kala Kuhlmann, Nicole Neals and Nikki Bober averaged 21 wins the past two seasons and will be leading the Huskers to the NCAA tournament for the third time in four years.

Kansas, playing on the road for the fourth time in five games, has lost four straight and six of its last seven.

Nebraska won the last meeting 67-60 in Lawrence after trailing with eight minutes left.

Kansas couldn’t come back after falling behind quickly. The Jayhawks shot 44 percent, compared with Nebraska’s 40 percent, but were outscored 24-4 at the free-throw line.

Adding to the festive atmosphere was an appearance by Curt Tomasevicz, brakeman for the gold medal-winning U.S. bobsledding team.

Fans chanting “U-S-A, U-S-A” gave a raucous reception to Tomasevicz when he was introduced during a first-half media timeout. Tomasevicz, a Shelby, Neb., native who lettered in football at Nebraska in 2003, returned to the court at the next timeout to serve as triggerman for a T-shirt shooter.

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