LOS ANGELES -- A game between the Long Island Panthers and Nebraska Bison Runza Red was not the kind of matchup that would normally get anyone excited. But if you know your club basketball, this type of game is always appealing.

In one corner was Long Island, known for its size, athleticism and skill. The reigning heavyweight champ has a roster featuring a possible future pro and several high majors.

In the other corner was Nebraska, the long shot contender with no name players, no size, no jump-out-of the-gym athletes -- just tough, gritty young men.

Their matchup at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles at the Best of Summer Tournament turned out to be special.

The Panthers featured player is 6-foot-9 Charlie Villanueva. Villanueva, one of the nation's top prospects can shoot the three and can put it on the floor. The Portland Trailblazers had a scout on hand to check him out.

Six-foot junior Josh Wright starts at the point for the Panthers. Wright had an outstanding ABCD camp and made the underclassmen all-star game. Six-foot-5 rising senior Sammy Mejia, who can play all three perimeter positions well, is a strong high major recruit. The Panthers also have 6'8 Donta Milligan, 6'4 Mike Jones, who has already made a commitment to Maryland, and 6'2 Victor Fletcher.

In addition, former Panther Lamar Odom was sitting on their bench as a good luck charm.

For the Nebraska Bison Runza Red? The tallest player listed on the roster is 6'6 -- and there is only one player listed at that height. Hyped players? None. High major prospects? None.

Nebraska had caught about five minutes of the Panthers previous game said coach Rich Hook. But that it didn't matter to him who they had or what they ran. "We have to play to our strength -- press, push the tempo," he said.

Yet the shorter, less athletic Huskers came out and applied a full court zone press on the Panthers before falling into a man-to-man defense despite the tremendous mismatches to be found at each position.

The Panthers, behind Sammy Mejia's ability to penetrate, broke open a close game and raced out to a 39-24 lead before getting careless and ending the first half with a 39-30 lead.

Nebraska went to a 2-3 zone to start the second half and rode 5'11 senior Tyron Canby's shooting and 6'3 senior Nick Bahe ability to penetrate and finish to close the gap to one point.

The buzz from the gym was palpable and everybody rushed over from the other court to watch the game.

Nebraska was running a nice flex offense and getting open looks from three or layups off the ball. They were not running the offense to take any time off of the clock.

Long Island appeared to be frustrated with the zone as they became stagnant, standing around, passing it slowly around the perimeter and settling for a lot of missed jumpers or tough shots in traffic.

Nebraska eventually increased its lead to six, but Villanueva countered with two tough finishes in traffic to bring the Panthers back.

The Panthers then needed all of the good luck that Odom could bring them. With 24:4 left on the clock and pressing full court, they didn't communicate on a screen and Nebraska threw it long over the top to a wide open man, only to see him miss the uncontested breakaway layup.

However, the Panthers then turned it over trying to jam it down the middle of the Nebraska zone and had to foul. With Nick Bahe on the line for Nebraska and just 10:2 clicks left on the clock it looked like a done deal since Bahe led the state of Nebraska in free throw shooting percentage this past year, shooting better than 90% from the line. With the Odom mojo working for them, Bahe missed the front end.

Time out Long Island. There were only 6.4 seconds left on the clock and Nebraska had four fouls to give without going into the bonus.

Nebraska quickly used three fouls, but actually fouled a little too quickly as 3.5 seconds remained.

Nebraska, up by two points, still had a foul to give. The Panthers, inbounding from under their own basket, throw over the top of the zone to an open Josh Wright who stood about two feet beyond the arc.

Wright calmly hit the game winner and even Odom celebrated as the Panthers narrowly escaped what would have been the upset of the summer.

The Nebraskan kids are so untouched by the whole hyped-up show that summer basketball has become that some of them actually wanted to have their pictures taken with Villanueva -- and a parent obliges them.

This game serves as an example of why there should be summer basketball. The Nebraska team, selected from a state-wide tryout, had only five practices before heading to last week's Big Time Tournament.

Then they came to Los Angeles and weren't awed by anybody. In terms of desire, effort and toughness, this was the "best group of kids Nebraska had ever sent out," said Hooks.

For the Panthers, who won the Best of Summer Tournament last year, it was a wake-up call.

David Benezra and Mark Mayemura cover the national college basketball recruiting scene. E-mail at: hoopsusa@mindspring.com or call (818) 783-2244 or (818) 783-2212 for subscription information.