Dec. 19, 2010
 
Second straight defeat in second half.
 
Las Vegas — Dominique Kelley scored 12 points and Catheryn Redmon added 11 points and seven rebounds, but the Nebraska women's basketball team dropped a 65-60 decision to Marist in the Huskers' second game of the Duel in the Desert Classic at the Cox Pavilion on Sunday night.

The loss dropped Nebraska to 8-3 on the season with their second straight loss in the tournament, while Marist improved to 8-2 with their fourth consecutive victory. The Red Foxes have won five consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference titles and averaged 26 wins per season over the last seven years.

Jordan Hooper, who led NU with 25 points and a career-high 13 rebounds against Houston on Saturday, nearly notched her second straight double-double but settled for nine points and 10 rebounds. The Huskers also got nine points, four rebounds and three assists from Lindsey Moore in a low-scoring affair.

Nebraska carried a 39-34 halftime lead thanks to contributions across the board. Kelley led the Huskers with 12 first-half points on 4-of-6 shooting including both of her three-point attempts. Moore added seven points while Jessica Periago and Meghin Williams pitched in five points apiece. Eight different Huskers found the scoring column in the first half, while NU hit 15-of-30 shots from the field, including 5-of-8 three-pointers.

Marist also played efficient offensively in the first half, hitting 14-of-28 field goal attempts, but just 3-of-11 three-pointers. Erica Allenspach led Marist with 14 first-half points on 5-of-9 shooting, including a pair of three-pointers.

Nebraska outrebounded Marist, 16-15, in the first half, and won the turnover battle, 7-6.

The Huskers continued to outrebound the Red Foxes in the second half, finishing with a 37-30 edge on the glass, but NU committed 12 turnovers in the second, including seven in the first six minutes of the second half.

The early turnovers allowed Marist to take a quick 40-39 lead just four minutes into the second half, before Nebraska answered with an 8-0 run that was capped by Hooper's lone three of the game to take a 46-40 lead with 14:55 left.

Marist answered NU's 8-0 run with a 6-0 surge of its own to tie the game at 46, and then a three-point play by Maria Laterza gave the Red Foxes the lead for good at 49-47 with 11:20 left.

Scoring was at a premium for both teams in the second half, as NU hit just 7-of-24 field goals in the second half and just 2-of-11 three-point attempts. Marist managed just 8-of-25 shooting in the second half and just 1-of-8 three-pointers, but the Red Foxes converted on 14-of-17 free throws as NU was forced to foul in the final minute.

Nebraska hit just two field goals in the final 8:24, but the Huskers held Marist without a basket for the final 8:45.

Allenspach led Marist with a game-high 20 points, as the only Red Fox in double figures. Elise Caron added nine points, with all nine coming at the free throw line, including 4-of-6 in the final 55 seconds. Emma O'Connor added nine of her own, including six straight points that included Marist's final two field goals of the game.

For the game, Nebraska hit 40.7 percent (22-54) of its shots from the field, including 7-of-19 threes (36.8 percent), but just 9-of-15 free throws. NU lost the turnover battle, 18-13.

Marist went 22-of-53 (41.5 percent) from the floor, but just 4-of-19 from long range. However, the Red Foxes outscored NU 17-9 at the line by connecting on 17-of-21 free throws (81 percent).

Nebraska concludes its three-game trip to the Duel in the Desert by taking on Louisville on Monday at 8:30 p.m. (central). Louisville dropped its second straight game in the tournament with a double-digit loss to Houston in Sunday's first game.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.