Nebraska Has Too Much in Reserve for Long Beach

LINCOLN, Neb. —  Reserve guard Tom Wald made a key steal with six seconds remaining to preserve Nebraska’s 69-68 victory over Long Beach State in a nonconference game Saturday.

Nebraska (11-3) had a six-point lead early in the second half, but the 49ers (6-4) came back to take a 60-59 lead on Juaquin Hawkins’ basket with 5:25 remaining.

Nebraska led, 64-60, after a three-point shot by Erick Strickland and a basket by Jaron Boone. The Cornhuskers stretched the lead to 66-61 on Mikki Moore’s basket with 3:16 remaining before Long Beach State’s James Cotton took over.

Cotton, who had 19 of his game-high 25 points in the second half, made four free throws to counter another Strickland basket. His three-point shot following a free throw by Moore cut the Nebraska lead to one with 1:08 remaining.

Strickland missed a long jumper and Boone’s follow was short, but the 49ers’ last chance ended when Wald reached in and tipped the ball away from Cotton.

“I got lucky. I think he just held it out too far,” Wald said. “I knew he was going to shoot it and I thought maybe it was a foul. Maybe I got away with one, maybe they let me have it.”