Husker women rally to stop Buffaloes

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By the Lincoln Journal Star

Vonnie Turner hit a game-tying three-pointer, then had two steals that led to the next four points during a late 9-0 spurt that gave the Nebraska women’s basketball team an 80-71 win against Colorado Wednesday night in Boulder, Colo.

NU improved to 17-6 overall and 6-3 in the Big 12 Conference. Colorado fell to 13-9 and 2-7.

Nebraska, which trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half only to fight back to take a 36-35 lead at halftime, was behind 64-61 after Bianca Smith hit a layup. But that’s when the sophomore guard Turner put her stamp on the game.

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On Nebraska’s next possession, she buried her third three-pointer of the game to knot the score with 3:30 to play. After the Buffs missed a shot on their next possession, Colorado native Danielle Page put the Huskers in front for good by scoring off a post move from a feed by Tay Hester. Turner then provided Nebraska with more breathing room with a full-court press steal and layup, then came up with another steal that led to a basket by Kelsey Griffin.

“She’s really stepped up huge for us, and it’s the clutch threes,” Griffin said of Turner on the Nebraska Sports Network postgame radio show. “The steal that she had in the full court against Whitney Houston, I mean, she’s just a great playmaker.”

While Turner had 14 points and a game-high four steals, Griffin, the reigning Big 12 player of the week, finished with a season- and game-high 25 points.

Equally key was the Huskers’ defensive effort against Jackie McFarland. Averaging 21.4 points in league play entering Wednesday’s game, the CU senior All-Big 12 forward managed just a lone free throw before fouling out in the final minute.

Early on, it looked like the Buffaloes would be fine without their star, as they used a 15-0 run to erase an 11-4 deficit. CU eventually built its advantage to 27-15, but Dominique Kelley started a stretch where the Huskers sank five straight threes that helped them pull to 35-32.

Following a Colorado miss,  Nebraska’s Nikki Bober sank her only shot of the night and, after a Buffalo turnover, Griffin scored on a follow with seven seconds left to put the Huskers up 36-35 at the break.

Nebraska trailed throughout the majority of the second half before pulling things out with its late flurry.

“There’s not many times that I’m speechless, but I didn’t have a lot to say in the locker room other than a little ‘hip, hip, hurray,’” Nebraska coach Connie Yori said on the radio show. “That’s a great game.” 

The Huskers return to action Sunday with a home game against Oklahoma State, a team that’s just a half-game ahead of them in the league standings and on Tuesday handed Baylor its first Big 12 loss.

-- Curt McKeever