Jan. 15, 2011
 
Huskers can't get the basket at the buzzer.
 
Lawrence, Kan. — Nebraska pushed the nation's longest home-court winning streak to the limit, as the Huskers held a 10-point lead on No. 3 Kansas before falling to the Jayhawks, 63-60, at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon.

The Huskers (13-4,1-2 Big 12) nearly snapped Kansas' 69-game home win streak and had a chance to send the game into overtime, but Caleb Walker's 3-pointer skimmed off the rim, allowing Kansas to improve to 17-0 overall and 2-0 in Big 12 action.

"We're very disappointed," Nebraska Head coach Doc Sadler said after the Huskers dropped their second road game of the week to a top-15 team. "We didn't come over here to get beat. We came to win. We're not going to accept playing close as a moral victory. We're disappointed that we let that one slip away. Our guys have to understand that playing hard and competing is really good, but we're going to win a ball game like that, and when it's all said and done we're going to win a lot of them. We just didn't get it done this week."

Senior point guard Lance Jeter led NU with 13 points and six assists in 34 minutes, while junior center Andre Almeida produced an effective performance off the bench 10 points and a career-high seven rebounds in 21 minutes . Almeida led a strong effort on the boards that saw the Huskers out-rebound the Jayhawks, 43-32, on the glass, as KU led the Big 12 in rebounding entering the contest.

Junior guard Toney McCray added nine points in 16 minutes, including eight points in a 69-second span that spotted NU its largest lead of the day at 38-28

The Huskers went into the locker room with a 30-25 advantage after they shot 43 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes, while holding the Jayhawks to a 33 percent shooting clip. It marked Kansas' first halftime deficit of the season and Kansas, which led the nation in field goal percentage, hit just 46 percent on the day against the Huskers.

After Nebraska grabbed its 10-point lead, Kansas responded with a 14-5 run over the next 4 � minutes to take a 43-42 lead on a Markieff Morris lay-up, its first lead since the 7:53 mark of the first half. While the Jayhawks had momentum on its side, Kansas was unable to break the game open as a pair of lay-ups from sophomore Jorge Brian Diaz and a bucket from Almeida had NU trailing just 54-52 with 4:44 remaining. Markieff Morris then added back-to-back field goals to give KU a 58-52 cushion with 3 minutes left.

Just when it looked as if Kansas would put the game out of reach, Eshaunte Jones converted a rare 4-point play to bring NU within 58-56 with 2:36 left. Following a Marcus Morris tip-in, Jones was fouled and knocked down a pair of free throws to bring NU back within 60-58 with 1:25 left. Morris and NU guard Brandon Richardson then each missed the front end of 1-and-1 opportunities on ensuing possessions, but Marcus Morris hit both free throws to put KU ahead 62-58 with 27 seconds left.

After a Jeter lay-up, Tyrel Reed went 1-of-2 at the line to leave the door open for NU to tie the game, but Walker's 3-point attempt at the buzzer hit off the back of the rim.

Red and Marcus Morris led all players with 16 points apiece for the Jayhawks.

Nebraska led for nearly the entire first half, building an eight-point advantage at 28-20 with five minutes left on a Diaz layup, as the sophomore totaled eight points and eight rebounds.

Nebraska returns to the Devaney Center on Tuesday to face Colorado at 6 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2. The Buffaloes (14-4, 3-0) are tied for first in the Big 12 Conference. Tickets are available on Huskers.com or by calling 1-800-8BIG-RED begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-8BIG-RED end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Nebraska Postgame Notes

*-Nebraska held Kansas to a season-low 63 points on Saturday. KU became the fifth Husker opponent to be held to a season low in points.

*-Kansas was held to 46 percent shooting, only the fifth time in 17 games that Kansas, which led the nation in field goal percentage at 52.2 percent, was held under 50 percent.

*-The 63 points was the lowest Nebraska has allowed to Kansas since a 59-57 loss in Lawrence on Jan. 19, 1995.

*-Nebraska lost back-to-back games for the second time this season, and in three of the four losses NU was within four points in the final minute (Davidson, Missouri, Kansas)

*-Nebraska out-rebounded Kansas, 43-32, marking the 8th time in the last nine contests that Nebraska has out-rebounded an opponent. Kansas entered today's game leading the Big 12 in rebound margin (+9.1)

*-The loss was NU's 15th consecutive loss to the Jayhawks, as KU extended its home win streak to a Big 12 record 69 straight home wins.

*- Nebraska had 19 offensive boards (14 vs. Alcorn State) and it was the most by a Husker team since recording 20 against Colorado on March 2, 2010.

*-Caleb Walker reached double digits in rebounds for the third time this year with 10 rebounds, two shy of his career high set against Alcorn State

*-Andre Almeida tied a career high with seven rebounds (also vs, Grambling State and South Dakota) and reached double figures for the fourth time this year with 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.