Boxscore

Paul Millsap was named MVP of the John Thompson Foundation Basketball Challenge, but Louisiana Tech could not defeat tournament host Nebraska, as the Bulldogs dropped another breath taker by a score of 59-56 to the Huskers.

While the Bulldogs fell to 1-2 on the season, Tech head coach Keith Richard said he was pleased with the way his team progressed over the course of the tournament.

?We got better over these three games,? Richard said. ?We only have one win to show for it, but we certainly got better. As a coach, improving was important to me, and I thought we accomplished that.?

Millsap, the junior forward from Grambling, La., averaged 16.7 points and 10 rebounds per game throughout the tournament, but it was junior guard Trey McDowell who carried Tech throughout the contest today.

McDowell was the only Bulldog player in double figures, finishing with 23 points on nine of 16 shooting from the field including four of eight from three-point range.

The Bulldogs were down 29-25 at halftime but looked as if they were about to ignite offensively when they scored 10 points in the first three minutes of the second half.

Then, the offense sputtered and produced only 14 points over the next 12 minutes, 21 seconds, and the Bulldogs found themselves down 55-49 with 4:41 showing on the clock.

McDowell made back-to-back three-pointers to knot the score at 55, but Nebraska?s Jamel White answered McDowell?s second three-pointer with a trey of his own and put the Huskers back up by three points.

Nebraska looked to have the game in control when guard Marcus Perry went to the free throw line to shoot two with only four seconds remaining and the Huskers up 59-56, but Perry missed both free throws.

However, Tech fumbled the rebound out of bounds, and the Bulldogs never got a final chance to even the score.

The Bulldogs made 59 of 119 field goals for .496 percent from the field in their first two games of the season, but Tech struggled to connect against the Huskers, making 19 of 52 shots.

?We only shot 36 percent from the field, but I was happy with our half court offense,? Richard said. ?We had to work hard on offense. Nebraska?s defense is probably one of the toughest we?ll play all season.?

The Bulldogs forced 13 turnovers while committing 18 of their own, and Tech shot 12-20 from the free throw line. Tech out-rebounded Nebraska 41 to 36, as junior forward Harry Disy led the Bulldogs with 15 rebounds along with nine points. It was the first time since Jan. 27 a Tech player other than Millsap recorded at least 15 rebounds, when Wayne Powell had 15 boards against Boise State.

Millsap finished with eight points and 10 rebounds, while Jerome Richardson had eight points, Corey Dean had five and Haskins rounded out the list with three points.

Forward Aleks Maric led Nebraska with 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Jason Dourisseau had 12 points and eight boards for the Huskers.

Tech's next contest will against the University of New Orleans on Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. in Tyler, Tx. The game will be broadcast on the radio on KXKZ, 107.5 FM.