Marcus Fizer responded to the challenge issued by Larry Eustachy in a big way.

While Venson Hamilton had controlled play in the first half with 10 points and three rebounds, Fizer sat out the last 11 minutes of the half because Eustachy was not pleased with his effort.

At half-time, Eustachy gave the preseason all-Big 12 forward a challenge.

“I told him, ‘this guy is supposed to be the MVP of the league, let’s see what you can do with him,'” Eustachy said.

Fizer played all twenty minutes of the second half and held Hamilton to two points as the Cyclones snapped Nebraska’s five game winning streak with a 52-47 win.

Fizer also led the Cyclones with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field.

The win, which Eustachy called “the best to date,” gave the Cyclones 13 wins for the year, eclipsing last year’s total by one.

“I think our record (13-8 overall, 4-4 in conference) is fantastic. We are building, and our base is pretty established,” Eustachy said.

The first-year coach also announced he was reinstating Paris Corner.

The game’s first half was not a stellar one for ISU as they shot only 38 percent and were held to 22 points. However, they let Nebraska shoot only 18 times, and the Huskers headed into the locker room up only one point at 23-22.

The second half was played with an intensity and verve not seen all year in front of 12,107 screaming fans, representing the biggest crowd of the year at Hilton Coliseum.

The lead was never more than five for either team in the half, and until ISU pulled away at the end, the lead didn’t eclipse three the final nine minutes.

After Andy Markowski scored on a lay-in, the Huskers had a 27-22 lead early in the half.

The Cyclones then responded with a 9-2 run that gave them their first lead of the game at 31-29 with 15:14 left in the contest.

It was touch and go from that point forth, and forward Marcus Fizer would play a key role down the stretch.

With 5:13 left, Fizer had a dunk that gave the Cyclones the lead at 44-43. After Nebraska took the lead back, he drew an offensive foul on Venson Hamilton, the big man’s fourth of the game.

Then with a little over a minute to play, Fizer received a pass about eight feet from the basket.

“They were in a zone, and I noticed (Cary) Cochran in my area, and I thought ‘what is this little guy doing here?’ So I made sure I got the ball, and shot it and he fouled me,” Fizer said.

The shot went in, and the Cyclones had retaken the lead with Fizer set to attempt the free throw to extend it.

He missed the shot, but it turned out to be a blessing as Martin Rancik grabbed the rebound and was fouled.

Rancik showed why he is a 90 percent free throw shooter by calmly knocking them both down, and the Cyclones were up three.

Following a Husker miss, Michael Nurse nailed two free throws, and the Husker coffin shut.

“We’re a confident team. We believe we can beat any team on any given night,” Nurse said.

Eustachy split time between Rancik and Klay Edwards, but Rodney Hampton, who was 4-8 from the three-point line, Nurse, Fizer, and Johnson all stayed in the duration of the half.

The Cyclones will now face a tough test as they go to Oklahoma State to face the Cowboys.