Nebraska Upsets No. 16 Oregon, 88-79, In OT

Victory marks Nebraska coach Doc Sadler's second win in five games against a Top 25 team

Dec. 15, 2007

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Aleks Maric scored 23 points, including a putback that broke open the game in overtime, and Nebraska overcame 16th-ranked Oregon's 3-point barrage to beat the Ducks 88-79 Saturday.

The Cornhuskers (8-2) led by as many as 13 points in the second half, but Oregon (8-2) kept coming back behind Tajuan Porter, who scored 29 points and made seven of the Ducks' season-high 14 3-pointers.

Porter's last 3-pointer, with 9.1 seconds left, sent the game to overtime.

The Huskers got strong support at the Qwest Center, 60 miles from their campus in Lincoln. After the final buzzer, hundreds of students rushed the court from their end zone seats and high-fived Nebraska players as they made their way to their locker room.

The victory was coach Doc Sadler's second win in five games against a Top 25 opponent in his two seasons at Nebraska.

Ryan Anderson gave the Huskers the lead for good with a 3-pointer to open overtime. Anderson finished with 21 points, but his biggest contributions may have come on defense. He was assigned to guard Oregon forward Maarty Leunen, who came in averaging 16 points, and held him to two.

Maric struggled inside late in the second half and in overtime, but he put back Sek Henry's miss to put Nebraska up 83-77.

Anderson hit four free throws after that to finish off the Ducks.

Oregon was in position to take the lead with 9.1 seconds left in regulation when Porter was fouled by Steve Harley while making a 3-pointer that tied it 74-74.

Porter missed the free throw, and Harley badly missed a 3-point try at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.

Down 72-71 in the last two minutes of regulation, Oregon had two chances to take the lead. But each time Nebraska came up with a stop.

Nebraska built a 13-point lead early in the second half, but Porter led a 14-2 Oregon spurt that got the Ducks back in the game, and they tied it 62-all on Porter's 3.

Porter took the inbounds pass and dribbled up and around the top of the key before fading to the right wing, where he launched his falling-down 3-pointer. Harley swiped Porter on the way up, putting Porter at the line.

Malik Hairston made all five of his 3-pointers and finished with 25 points for the Ducks.

The game completes Nebraska's two-game series with Oregon. Last year the Huskers and Ducks played in Portland, Ore., with the Ducks winning 68-56.