Huskers Soar Past Bluejays

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Lincoln ? Nebraska earned its first regular-season win over Creighton since 1998 behind a strong offensive attack as the Huskers hit 67.6 percent from the floor in a 73-61 victory over the Bluejays Saturday night in the Devaney Center. The win gave first-year coach Doc Sadler his 50th career victory and made him the first Nebraska head coach since 1946 to open his career 2-0. <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

 

Playing in front of a sellout crowd of 13,112 fans, the Huskers knocked off the No. 20/25 Bluejays behind a strong effort from freshman Ryan Anderson, who led the way on offense as he scored a team-high 19 points. Anderson hit 7-of-8 attempts from the floor to pace the Husker offense, which had its best shooting night percentage-wise since Dec. 5, 1997 against UNC Wilmington when NU hit 72.3 percent from the field.

 

Anderson's strong performance, which included hitting 2-of-3 from 3-point range, came alongside junior center Aleks Maric, who added an 8-for-11 effort from the field en route to 17 points. The duo also combined for 15 rebounds.

 

Senior Charles Richardson Jr. was near-perfect on the night, as he guided the efficient Nebraska offense. Richardson finished 4-of-4 from the floor, including 2-of-2 from the 3-point range and 1-of-2 from the charity stripe, missing only a free throw in his team-high 40 minutes on the court. Richardson also added a career-high tying nine assists without a turnover, half of the Huskers' team total of 18 assists.

 

Sophomore Jamel White rounded out the Huskers' four-man double-digit effort with 13 points. He hit 3-of-7 from the field, including 2-of-4 from behind the arc, and drained 5-of-6 attempts from the charity stripe. 

 

The Huskers relied on the sharp-shooting of Anderson in the first half, as he nailed 6-of-7 attempts from the field, pouring in 13 points while adding two boards. Anderson knocked down his first six attempts from the floor as he helped Nebraska pull within three, 31-28, at the intermission.

 

Before Anderson got going, the teams traded shots in the paint until Richardson hit a 3-pointer as the shot clock wound down to put the Huskers up 7-4. With the Huskers trailing 14-12, freshman Jay-R Strowbridge stepped up with two 3-point field goals to put the Nebraska ahead 18-14 with 11:00 remaining.

 

The Huskers built a 20-16 lead after a Maric layup with 9:14 left in the opening half, but Creighton’s Nate Funk kept the Bluejays in the game with a pair of treys and a jumper as CU built its largest lead of the period at 24-20. Neither team would lead by more than three to close the half, as Nebraska headed into the locker room trailing 31-28.

 

The Huskers returned from the intermission on fire. A Maric lay-up put Nebraska ahead 34-33 for a lead it would not relinquish. Richardson added a lay-up and a free throw while White knocked down a 3-pointer to push the lead to seven, 40-33.

 

However, Creighton’s Isacc Miles and Funk combined for nine points on a trio of 3-point shots to tie the game at 42 before Anderson answered with a 3-pointer of his own, setting off a 14-8 Husker run that included six points and three defensive rebounds from Maric.

 

A Funk 3-point shot pulled Creighton to within four points at 58-54, but that was as close as Creighton would get. Funk finished with a game-high 28 points, the only Bluejay to score in double digits.

 

Nebraska hit a solid 57.1 percent (8-of-14) from behind the 3-point line, while garnering two 3s from each of four different players.

 

The Huskers face next face Lubbock Christian at home on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m.

 

Official Basketball Box Score Official Basketball Box Score Creighton vs Nebraska 11/18/06 7:05 p.m. at Lincoln, Neb. (Devaney Center) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VISITORS: Creighton (1-1) TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 50 Watts,Dane.......... f 2-8 0-3 0-0 1 11 12 4 4 1 1 0 1 30 44 Tolliver,Anthony.... c 4-10 0-3 1-4 3 2 5 4 9 1 4 2 0 25 03 Porter,Nick......... g 2-7 0-2 4-4 3 0 3 3 8 2 0 0 1 25 10 Funk,Nate........... g 9-16 7-11 3-4 1 2 3 1 28 2 1 0 0 37 34 Bahe,Nick........... g 0-2 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 15 01 Miles,Isacc......... 3-6 3-5 0-0 1 0 1 2 9 3 0 0 0 21 12 Dotzler,Josh........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 0 8 20 Hibma,Pierce........ 0-3 0-3 0-0 0 0 0 3 0 1 1 0 0 17 21 Morrison,Ty......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 22 Gakou,Manny......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 5 24 Nengsu,Brice........ 1-4 1-3 0-0 2 0 2 2 3 1 1 0 0 14 Team................ Totals.............. 21-56 11-32 8-12 12 15 27 24 61 15 12 2 2 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-27 44.4% 2nd Half: 9-29 31.0% Game: 37.5% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 5-13 38.5% 2nd Half: 6-19 31.6% Game: 34.4% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 2-2 100 % 2nd Half: 6-10 60.0% Game: 66.7% 1

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOME TEAM: Nebraska (2-0) TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 21 Maric, Aleks........ c 8-11 0-0 1-2 1 8 9 4 17 0 1 1 0 28 01 Henry, Sek.......... g 1-4 0-2 5-6 0 2 2 4 7 2 4 0 0 35 03 Richardson, Charles. g 4-4 2-2 1-2 0 4 4 2 11 9 0 0 1 40 31 White, Jamel........ g 3-7 2-4 5-6 0 3 3 4 13 5 1 0 0 33 44 Anderson, Ryan...... g 7-8 2-3 3-5 0 6 6 0 19 1 5 0 0 37 05 Strowbridge, Jay-R.. 2-3 2-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 0 0 10 25 Velander, Paul...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 32 Balham, Chris....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 9 33 Douse, Kris......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 34 Ledsome, Jim........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 4 TEAM................ 2 2 2 Totals.............. 25-37 8-14 15-21 1 26 27 16 73 18 17 1 1 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-20 60.0% 2nd Half: 13-17 76.5% Game: 67.6% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 4-8 50.0% 2nd Half: 4-6 66.7% Game: 57.1% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 0-2 0.0% 2nd Half: 15-19 78.9% Game: 71.4% 2

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Officials: Steve Gordon, Steve Skiles, Don Dailey Technical fouls: Creighton-None. Nebraska-None. Attendance: 13832 Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total Creighton..................... 31 30 - 61 Nebraska...................... 28 45 - 73 Actual Attendance: 13112