LINCOLN, Neb., Dec. 29 - After a slow start Nebraska took control over seven minutes spanning the end of the first half and the beginning of the second, outscoring Southern Utah 23-5 through that stretch, then went on to notch a 94-61 win over the Thunderbirds Tuesday night.

            Nebraska hit 33-of-61 shots, 54.1 percent, the highest percentage allowed by the Thunderbirds this season.

            Davis Baker scored 14 points and Ryan Brimley added 11 to lead the Thunderbirds, who dropped to 4-9 on the season, while Quincy Hankins-Cole led four Huskers in double figures with 15 points. Nebraska improved to 10-3 with the win.

            Nebraska pulled away from the Thunderbirds in the last five minutes of the first half, outscoring the Thunderbirds 11-3 to close the half and lead 37-23 at the break, then took control with a 12-2 run to open the second period. That run gave the Huskers a 49-25 edge with 17:52 to play.

            "The main thing we did, and its something we've done all year, it was 15 to 15 then we turned the ball over six or seven times and they were able to get some easy baskets and all of a sudden we were down by 12 points," SUU Coach Roger Reid said. "You can't do that on the road. That was a critical stretch. We were right there and battling but we have to play 40 minutes not five minutes at a time."

            SUU chipped away, pulling back within 52-38 after a Damon Heuir three but Nebraska rattled off five straight to quell the Thunderbird comeback, then continued to pull away.

            After Southern Utah controlled the tempo through the early going, holding Nebraska without a point for the first 3:45, the Huskers asserted themselves in the second 10 minutes, going on an 11-2 run to break a 15-15 tie and take a 26-17 lead.

            Baker hit a runner in the lane and Jake Nielson added a free throw to pull the 'Birds back within 26-20 with 5:16 to play before Nebraska went on the 11-3 run to close the half.

            Brimley had eight points in the first half, hitting 2-of-4 3-pointers and two free throws, while Baker had seven points and five rebounds.

            SUU wound up hitting a season-high 11 3-pointers, knocking down 11-of-20 from long-range. Brimley hit three, while Baker, Damon Hueir, Drew Allen and Jordan Weirick all connected on two.

            "We saw some positive things out there tonight," Reid said. "We had some young guys come in, some guys come off the bench, Damon Heuir, Jordan Weirick, Dallin Bachynski and Drew Allen, those guys all came in and gave us a lift, they all played very hard in the second half."

-- SUU --