Kelsey Griffin didn't realize how bad her shooting night was until it was pointed out to her.
Nebraska's star senior forward went 1-10 from the floor, but stepped up her game in other areas to help the No. 3 Cornhuskers to a 67-51 victory over Missouri on Saturday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
"Whether I'm feeling it or whether the ball's not going in and there's a lid on the basket for me, I just try to let the game come to me," Griffin said.
Nebraska scored the first basket of the game when Yvonne Turner tipped in a shot off a Griffin miss. Griffin's lone field goal of the game came with 7:27 remaining in the first half.
The Huskers used a run late in the first half, spanning into the beginning of the second to build a commanding lead they would hold for the rest of the game.
With just under four minutes left in the half, Nebraska was being outrebounded 16-12, a large part coming from Missouri's 12 offensive rebounds.
"Early on we didn't do a very good job on defensive glass, and it unfolded from there not exactly how we wanted it to," NU coach Connie Yori said.
Nebraska has the lead at 30-25 but used a 10-2 run to take a 40-27 lead at halftime. A Catheryn Redmon steal led to a break away for Nicole Neals, who found Griffin underneath the basket. Griffin was short on the layup, but Redmon got the rebound for a put-back layup.
Redmon hit a jumper the next time down the floor, and Griffin added two free throws to close the first half.
Redmon scored eight points on the night and added five rebounds, including four on the offensive glass.
"We needed something there in that first half," Yori said. "(Redmon) did a good job at giving us a little spark there. We couldn't get a rebound to save our lives."
Nebraska's lead continued to grow in the second half. The Husker's largest lead — 20 at 54-34 — came with 11:26 to play after two Griffin free throws.
Even with the struggles from the floor, Griffin was still Nebraska's leading scorer.
Griffin finished with 19 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. She also added a career-high five blocks.
"I honestly don't play for statistics," Griffin said. "No one on this team does, and I think that's why we've been so successful thus far because we can rely on each other to play our roles."
The win moves Nebraska to 27-0 overall and 14-0 in the Big 12 Conference. It was the first sellout in Nebraska women's basketball history, as 13,595 red-clad fans came out to support the undefeated Huskers.
After the game, balloons and confetti were dropped from the rafters to officially crown the Huskers as Big 12 champions. The team also received the Big 12 Conference trophy after the contest.
Turner scored 15 points, and Dominique Kelley added 11. Griffin shot 10 percent from the floor, but the Huskers finished at 41 percent.
"I'm fortunate to play with four other scorers on the floor while I'm out there," Griffin said. "There is no need for me to try to play outside of myself."
In Nebraska's previous game against Missouri, an 82-78 win, the Huskers shot 67.6 percent from the free line. NU went 25-27 from the line on Saturday. Griffin set a school record making 17 free throws on 18 attempts.
It probably wasn't the kind of performance Griffin wanted on the night she was recognized at the Devaney Center, but she was happy to see her team win.
"My role tonight was the free-throw line and rebounds," Griffin said. "Other people had good shooting nights, and that's why I really love playing with this team."
dougburger@dailynebraskan.com
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