NORMAN, Okla. – All the cold, miserable weather didn't affect Oklahoma's long-range shooting against Nebraska.

The Sooners came into Wednesday's game ranked 248th nationally in 3-point shooting percentage. They hit six 3-pointers in the first half, and all the bundled-up fans in attendance earned a free meal at the local chicken shack.

Free food, and OU captured a 70-53 win to boot.

Michael Neal of Mesquite Poteet tallied 20 points as the Sooners (10-6, 2-2 Big 12) shot 39.1 percent from 3-point range. His 3-pointer with 10:54 remaining capped a 13-0 run and gave OU a 54-37 lead.

The Huskers (11-5, 0-2) were no slouches behind the arc, either. They came in ranked 21st nationally out of 325 Division I teams in 3-point shooting percentage. Coach Doc Sadler's club hit 11 of 27 3-pointers but made only four shots inside the arc.

The whole night looked like some long-range shooting exhibition. All that was missing was the multi-colored ball.

Neal got off to a quick start with two 3-pointers. Austin Johnson sank two as well before firing up a ball that got wedged between the rim and the backboard with 3:26 remaining in the first half. But then Neal's long trey gave the Sooners a 30-26 halftime lead.

Turns out, the Sooners didn't need suspended forward Longar Longar for this one. They will Saturday when Baylor's Kevin Rogers comes to town. Longar (6-11) was suspended two games for elbowing Texas Tech's Esmir Rizvic on Jan. 6 and fracturing his eye socket. Longar leads the Sooners in scoring (12.0) and rebounding (7.1).

Without Longar in the middle, Nate Carter (6-6) had the unenviable task of guarding Nebraska's Aleks Marks, a 6-11 junior. Carter had 19 points while Marks was 3-for-5 from the floor and had only eight points and four rebounds.

E-mail brdavis@dallasnews.com