Huskers take big lead, then coast to win
Players on the Nebraska men's basketball team say they've already learned one important lesson after only one game.
Don't get complacent, no matter the opponent.
The Huskers looked dominant in racing to a 31-point lead in their season-opener Saturday night against Presbyterian College.
Then the Blue Hose, playing their inaugural game of their first full Division I season, began swishing three pointers -- 10 in the second half, to be exact.
Presbyterian never seriously threatened to spoil the party, but certain caught the Huskers' attention.
"We learned from the situation tonight," Nebraska guard Jay-R Strowbridge said after the Huskers' 67-52 victory before 6,099 at the Devaney Center.
"I really don't think we'll be complacent anymore."
Strowbridge, starting at the 2-guard over Steve Harley, who'd started two exhibition games, made three three-pointers in the first seven minutes to spark Nebraska to a 13-3 lead.
The Huskers, sticking with the perimeter shooting against Presbyterian's zone defense, led 23-5 and stretched the margin to 43-16 when Ryan Anderson's three-pointer beat the halftime buzzer.
Ade Dagunduro scored the first four points of the second half, giving Nebraska its biggest lead.
Things seemed swell.
Then, it was Presbyterian who started connecting from long range. The Blue Hose were 10-of 15 on three-pointers in the second half.
"First half, we were really good on defense, our intensity was up, and in the second half, it seemed like we got complacent and dropped in intensity," said Dagunduro, who fouled out with 11 points.
"You've got to have that killer instinct to keep them away while you've got them down. You can never get complacent, because this is Division I basketball, so a lead can change in a heartbeat."
Presbyterian never got closer than final margin of 15.
"It's maturity," Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said, explaining why his team didn't maintain its high first-half level of play.
"Good teams are able to do that, and we're not a good team right now. But that's something we've got to learn from and understand, whether we're up 10 or 12 or down 10 or 12, it's a 40-minute ball game."
Senior center Aleks Maric scored 14 points to lead Nebraska. He was 5-of-5 from the field but had only one shot attempt in the first half, when the Huskers made all eight of their three-pointers. Strowbridge scored 12 points on four three-pointers, all before halftime.
"I was just open, and my teammates were looking for me, and they told me to keep shooting the ball," Strowbridge said. "Just be ready to shoot. They kept feeding me."
Nebraska shot 61 percent for the game. Presbyterian shot 23.1 percent in the second half but was 50 percent after halftime.
"You get a lead like that, you don't need any turnovers," said Sadler, whose team forced only 12 turnovers, eight in the first half.
"All you need to do is stay in front of your man, contain the ball and make sure that if they do make shots, they make shots with people defending them and not giving them open shots, and that's something we didn't do the second half."
Walt Allen scored 13 points and Josh Johnson had 10 for Presbyterian.
All nine Huskers who played, scored. Among those newcomers who didn't see action were freshmen Brandon Richardson, Toney McCray and Alonzo Edwards, and juco transfer Alex Chapman. All remain candidates for redshirts, Sadler said, although no decisions will be made for another couple of weeks, at least.
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
Don't get complacent, no matter the opponent.
The Huskers looked dominant in racing to a 31-point lead in their season-opener Saturday night against Presbyterian College.
Then the Blue Hose, playing their inaugural game of their first full Division I season, began swishing three pointers -- 10 in the second half, to be exact.
Presbyterian never seriously threatened to spoil the party, but certain caught the Huskers' attention.
"We learned from the situation tonight," Nebraska guard Jay-R Strowbridge said after the Huskers' 67-52 victory before 6,099 at the Devaney Center.
"I really don't think we'll be complacent anymore."
Strowbridge, starting at the 2-guard over Steve Harley, who'd started two exhibition games, made three three-pointers in the first seven minutes to spark Nebraska to a 13-3 lead.
The Huskers, sticking with the perimeter shooting against Presbyterian's zone defense, led 23-5 and stretched the margin to 43-16 when Ryan Anderson's three-pointer beat the halftime buzzer.
Ade Dagunduro scored the first four points of the second half, giving Nebraska its biggest lead.
Things seemed swell.
Then, it was Presbyterian who started connecting from long range. The Blue Hose were 10-of 15 on three-pointers in the second half.
"First half, we were really good on defense, our intensity was up, and in the second half, it seemed like we got complacent and dropped in intensity," said Dagunduro, who fouled out with 11 points.
"You've got to have that killer instinct to keep them away while you've got them down. You can never get complacent, because this is Division I basketball, so a lead can change in a heartbeat."
Presbyterian never got closer than final margin of 15.
"It's maturity," Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said, explaining why his team didn't maintain its high first-half level of play.
"Good teams are able to do that, and we're not a good team right now. But that's something we've got to learn from and understand, whether we're up 10 or 12 or down 10 or 12, it's a 40-minute ball game."
Senior center Aleks Maric scored 14 points to lead Nebraska. He was 5-of-5 from the field but had only one shot attempt in the first half, when the Huskers made all eight of their three-pointers. Strowbridge scored 12 points on four three-pointers, all before halftime.
"I was just open, and my teammates were looking for me, and they told me to keep shooting the ball," Strowbridge said. "Just be ready to shoot. They kept feeding me."
Nebraska shot 61 percent for the game. Presbyterian shot 23.1 percent in the second half but was 50 percent after halftime.
"You get a lead like that, you don't need any turnovers," said Sadler, whose team forced only 12 turnovers, eight in the first half.
"All you need to do is stay in front of your man, contain the ball and make sure that if they do make shots, they make shots with people defending them and not giving them open shots, and that's something we didn't do the second half."
Walt Allen scored 13 points and Josh Johnson had 10 for Presbyterian.
All nine Huskers who played, scored. Among those newcomers who didn't see action were freshmen Brandon Richardson, Toney McCray and Alonzo Edwards, and juco transfer Alex Chapman. All remain candidates for redshirts, Sadler said, although no decisions will be made for another couple of weeks, at least.
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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