Tigers bounce Bears with second-half rally

Nevada senior J.R. Mills drops in two of his season-high 25 points as the Tigers beat Butler Monday. 53-35.

By Joe Warren

Nevada Daily Mail

NEVADA, Mo. -- Slow start, big second half, and so the trend continues for the Nevada Tigers as they used an 18-3 run to pull away from the Butler Bears Monday, winning 53-35 in both teams' first game back from Winter Break.

Senior J.R. Mills scored a season-high 25 points and Nevada's defense caused 11 second-half turnovers as the Tigers erased a one-point halftime deficit to win going away.

The key stretch in the game began with both teams tied at 25 and 3:33 to play in the third period. Seth Owings scored on a layup to give Nevada the lead. Bryan Campbell followed with his second 3-pointer of the night to give the Tigers their largest lead of the game (at that point), 30-25.

A three-point play by Butler's Chance Hedrick brought the Bears within two, but Mills took over from there. The 6-1 guard made four free throws and a layup off a steal in a span of 35 seconds, giving Nevada a 36-28 cushion.

The Tigers regained possession with 2.5 seconds left thanks to a Butler turnover, and followed with the biggest blow of the game. Senior Justin Reed banked in a shot from half court as time expired in the period and Wynn Gymnasium erupted.

The Tigers would continue the run in the fourth quarter as they outscored Butler 28-10 in the final 11 minutes of the game.

Nevada head coach John McNeley pointed to the half-court shot as the knockout punch, as Butler never regrouped in the fourth period.

"It might have been a different fourth quarter if that hadn't gone in," McNeley said.

The Tigers (7-1) started slowly, as they trailed late in the first quarter for the eighth-consecutive game, falling behind 8-3 with 3:13 left in the opening stanza.

Butler (6-2) played the aggressor in the first half, badgering the Tigers defensively, and making the Nevada defense work tirelessly in the half-court offense.

The Bears led 4-0 on baskets by Renner Schaller and Hedrick, and consecutive buckets by Jonathon Curtis put the Bears up 8-3.

Nevada rallied to tie the game at eight by the end of the quarter, capped by Mills' only trey of the game with 40 seconds to play.

In the second quarter it was Nevada jumping out to a 17-14 lead, as Mills scored six points and Logan Moore nailed a 3-pointer to get the Tiger offense going.

Butler closed the first half with a spurt, as Hedrick scored twice in the final 30 seconds and the Tigers went into the half down 18-17.

That set the stage for the third quarter, when Nevada finally got their offense going.

"The first half, we felt like we didn't play anywhere close to our potential," McNeley said. "We were not the aggressor at either end of the floor ... we knew in the second half that it had to change and we had to be the aggressor."

The big shot by Reed was only part of his contribution to the Tigers, as he also was called on to guard Hedrick for most of the game, holding the athletic senior to nine points -- three in the second half.

"(Reed) has made us a better ballclub and I really like the way he's bought into it this season," McNeley said. "He's made a big difference."

Reed finished with eight points in the game, seven of them in the third quarter.

Mills was the lone consistent component to the Nevada offense, scoring 10 points in the first half and 15 in the second.

"When you tell J.R. to be aggressive, he takes it to heart," McNeley said. "He's got the ability to do it. He did what we, as a team, wanted to do."

McNeley was happy to start 2006 with a victory against a quality opponent.

"We feel good about the win," he said. "This was one we really wanted."

Mills came into the game as Nevada's leading scorer, averaging almost 13 points per game.

Campbell also finished with eight point for Nevada, while Butler was led by Curtis' 10.

The Tigers will be at Pleasant Hill Friday, and return home to host Warrensburg Saturday.