Oregon sends nifty gift back to Nebraska

After so much had gone so wrong for No. 16 Oregon, coach Ernie Kent figured his Ducks would win when Tajuan Porter went to the free-throw line for a chance at a rare four-point play in the final seconds of regulation.

Porter's seventh three-pointer tied it, but he missed his only free throw of the game yesterday, and Nebraska dominated the overtime to beat the Ducks, 88-79.

"I thought we were going to steal one when we weren't playing particularly well on the road," Kent said. "We opened the door for them, and they took full advantage of it."

Both teams are 8-2.

Aleks Maric scored 23 points, including a putback that broke open the game in overtime, and Nebraska overcame Oregon's season-high 14 three-pointers.

"We weren't ready to play, and we basically gave them the game," Porter said.

The Huskers got strong support in their first-ever "home" game at the Qwest Center in Omaha, 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 players.

"They enjoyed it, so hopefully we can do it a lot more," Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said.

The Cornhuskers led by as many as 13 points in the second half, but Oregon kept coming back behind Porter, who scored 29 points. Malik Hairston made all five of his three-pointers and added 25 points for the Ducks.