• Photo Showcase: Missouri 74, Nebraska 59

• Box Score

• VIdeo: Highlights from the Nebraska-Missouri game:



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LINCOLN — Same song, 11th verse, only sometimes worse.

That’s the short version of Nebraska’s 74-59 loss to Missouri on Saturday, a setback that dropped the Huskers’ Big 12 record to 1-11 — the school’s worst in conference play since finishing 1-13 in the old Big Eight 47 years ago.

“I’m at a loss for words,’’ NU coach Doc Sadler said. “I don’t know what to say.’’

The sports information staff could hand the quote sheets from the past six weeks about how Nebraska (13-14) started fairly strong, lost its lead because of a scoring drought, chipped back to go ahead early in the second half and then faltered.

Sadler was asked, regardless of the six straight losses, if his team has progressed, regressed or stayed the same recently. He discussed a variety of factors, then after a pause said:

“I don’t know, to answer your question.’’

Nebraska had some answers in the game’s first four minutes.

The Huskers made 4 of 5 shots, held Missouri to 0 of 4 and jumped to an 11-1 lead. Senior Ryan Anderson, who matched his season high of 22 points, hit three 3-pointers in that stretch and assisted on the other basket.

But Missouri (20-7, 8-4) responded with an 18-3 run as the Huskers scored only one field goal in the next 7:29.

NU closed to 35-33 at half, then went ahead 39-38 with 17:17 to play on two free throws from Anderson.

Not much good happened after that for Nebraska.

Missouri guard Marcus Denmon capped an 18-6 outburst with a 3-pointer and, after one of NU’s 17 turnovers, a layup. The sophomore, averaging 10.5 points a game, scored a career-high 24.

Nebraska was still within 10 at 61-51 with 9:21 left when Christian Standhardinger followed his own miss with a putback. Standhardinger had seven points, three rebounds and two blocks in 13 minutes.

But the Huskers’ next basket didn’t come until Anderson hit a 3 with 51 seconds left — an 8½-minute drought.

“We aren’t very far away in any of these games that we lost,’’ Anderson said. “That’s what’s frustrating. At halftime . . . we just can’t expect for things to happen. You have to go out and make things happen.

“We have the talent to play with anybody. It takes a little bit more than that, though.’’

The losing is showing signs of taking a toll.

Senior Sek Henry went 0 of 5 from the field to fall to 9 of 37 (24.3 percent) the past eight games. Junior point guard Lance Jeter, one of the more consistent performers recently, had one assist, five turnovers and saw his first shot blocked and his second fall as an airball when wide open.

Amid the misery, the Devaney Center crowd of 7,930 quietly exited in droves with about five minutes to play.

Contact the writer:

444-1024, lee.barfknecht@owh.com

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