National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Nebraska 79, Arkansas St. 67
When: 4:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 14, 2013
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Nebraska
Officials: # DJ Cartensen, # Ray Perone, # Jim Schippers
Attendance: 15949

Nebraska 79, Arkansas State 67: Shavon Shields paced a balanced scoring attack with 15 points and Walter Pitchford posted 12 points and 10 rebounds as the Cornhuskers defeated the visiting Red Wolves.

Nebraska (7-3) put up 50 points in the first half and finished 8-of-16 from behind the arc, with Ray Gallegos making three 3-pointers en route to 13 points. Terran Petteway added 11 points and Deverell Biggs had eight points and six assists in a reserve role.

Kirk Van Slyke scored a season-high 27 points to lead the Red Wolves (5-3). The senior transfer from Houston shot 11-of-15 and added a team-high seven rebounds, while Melvin Johnson III chipped in with 18 points.

Nebraska never trailed after Van Slyke's early jumper, jumping out to a 15-2 lead with three players - Gallegos (six), Pitchford (five) and Shields (four) - accounting for the offense. Pitchford finished with 10 points in the first half as the Cornhuskers led 50-27 at intermission.

Arkansas State's road to recovery began with eight of the first 10 points of the second half, and the Red Wolves crawled within 69-55 on Johnson's 3-pointer with 6:29 to play. Gallegos' 3-pointer and Petteway's dunk - both baskets off assists by Biggs - restored order as Nebraska improved to 6-0 at home.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Red Wolves' bench scored 14 points but shot a collective 5-of-17 and committed 12 of the team's 21 turnovers. ... Nebraska barely won the rebounding battle, 39-36. ... The Cornhuskers finished with 15 steals, with six players recording multiple swipes, led by Shields, Biggs and Petteway with three apiece.
Top Game Performances
 
Arkansas St.   Nebraska
Kirk Van Slyke 27 Scoring Shavon Shields 15
Melvin Johnson III 3 Assists Deverell Biggs 6
Kirk Van Slyke 7 Rebounds Walter Pitchford 10
Melvin Johnson III 5 Free Throws Made Deverell Biggs 4
Edward Townsel 4 Steals Deverell Biggs 3
Kirk Van Slyke 1 Blocks Deverell Biggs 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Arkansas St. 67 43.6 7-17 12-23 10 32 1 7 21
Nebraska 79 48.3 8-16 13-18 19 34 1 15 16