Records Are Broken! ( And this time, It’s a good thing)
Box Score via huskers.com
Nebraska continued it’s dominating way on defense Saturday, pummeling North Carolina Central University 71-28, before 7100 fans at the Devaney Center. Records that were broken or tied include:
- 8 points by NCCU in the first half is a Devaney Center record and a Big 12 record.
- NCCU had only 2 field goals in the first half and 9 for the game, both tying Big 12 records.
- 19.6 percent shooting for the game is a Devaney Center opponent’s record low.
Nebraska players sharing in the success of the game were: Sek Henry 15 points (season high) 6 rebounds (career high), Alecs Maric 4 steals (ties career high) and walk-ons Ben Nelson, Nick Krenk, Cole Solomon and Andrew Wicklund getting some playing time.
The Huskers finished the game shooting 58% and a whopping 53 percent from beyond the arc. One impressive stat is hitting on 85 percent of their free-throws and considering they have averaged around 70 percent this year, saying it’s an improvement, is an understatement.
Other than Sek Henry, Alecs Maric cracked double digits with 10 points in only 14 minutes, but the Huskers received quality minutes from back-ups and walk-ons who all found a way to score and make this a record breaking night. Here is what Doc Sadler has to say about it:
I told our team going into the game, the schedule (the Eagles) have had and the teams that they have played, I have been so impressed in the films. Even tonight when the score got the way it was, (I was impressed) how hard they continue to play. That is a credit to their coaches and players. They have been dealt a difficult hand, but it looks to me like they are not complaining about it. They are going out and giving their best effort. Saying that, I was happy with our team. The only thing that was disappointing was turnovers. We got lazy with the basketball and tried to make things happen a little bit too quick. I really like our teams focus right now. I have played a lot of lineups. I played a different one tonight. I will probably play a different one the next two games. It won’t be the same to kind of get everybody used to playing with different people. I have got a pretty good idea when we start in league play what it is going to be, but these next two games you will see some changes still. I have been pleased with what we have seen. I really wanted to work on some zone tonight, but did not. Offensively, I thought it put us in a situation that we could not do that. I did not want to run the score up any worse than it was. I was pretty pleased.”
Doc Sadler is such a classy guy and I hope Nebraska can find a way to keep him here a long, long time. Nothing will compliment this school’s football tradition better than a successful basketball program and I feel we have the right guy in Doc to get that done. GREAT GAME HUSKERS!!!!!
December 23rd, 2007 at 10:15 pm
Their coach did an interview with Husker Hoops Central and was very honest about his teams chances for winning the game…
http://www.huskerhoopscentral.com/hhcgameday/2007-08/nccu/henrydickerson.htm
HD: Yeah. We don’t discuss wins and losses, because that’s not in the cards for the people that we play.
But, what is in the cards is competing, playing hard, executing and sometimes, the score doesn’t dictate how hard or well we play. You actually have to see us play, and the score is what it is because teams are deeper, bigger and more athletic. Most people don’t play walk-ons until after the game is virtually over with. We start a guard who is a walk-on. Our walk-ons play, and it’s like when we sub, we sub walk-ons. Then, we’re already down 10, now we’re down 20, then our starters are back in, and it’s a never ending catch up situation.
So, wins and losses are not a factor, we do not ever discuss that, we just discuss how hard we play and represent the university off the court and on the court.
If you ever see this team, you’ll wonder why we don’t get beat by 100 because of our size and ability, but we avoid that by playing hard
I actually feel bad for teams like that. 1-15 and they’ve had one home game.
December 24th, 2007 at 10:38 am
I do as well, Count. ( see we are compassionate for the right reasons!) But it is nice to see Nebraska do something to them that no one else did. Everyone else they have played has lit them up but has let them score also. Doc said he didn’t want to do that to them and you saw his defense take up the slack. Every game they play, I am more and more impressed with what they are doing. Think about year 3,4, or 5 of the DS Experiment and how exciting this will be!!
December 26th, 2007 at 7:17 am
I read that article on HHC Count (very good interview), it’s too bad every coach in college basketball doesn’t have the kind of class Henry Dickerson has.
I am, sorry to say, a pretty casual fan when it comes to Husker basketball. Guys like you, HB and a few others on here sound to be pretty die hard hoops fans so maybe you can explain something I’ve never understood; Why has NU’s basketball team not had the kind of success our other athletic programs have had? Our athletic facilities are second to none. The Devaney center is consistently packed for home games, so what do the KU and NC States have that we don’t? Is it just coaching or what?
December 26th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
“The Devaney center is consistently packed for home games, so what do the KU and NC States have that we don’t? Is it just coaching or what?”
The Devaney Center is far from packed for most home games. Unless we play Kansas, Creighton or Iowa State the place is normally a third to a half full. Barry Collier seems like a nice guy buy he was a lousy coach. Danny Nee before him seems like he was not such a good guy but his teams won for awhile. His players don’t speak highly of him at all though and claim that his success was because he had some good assistant coaches.
Honestly I don’t think NU has ever been great at basketball because it hasn’t been a priority. But under Cip, Iba and Nee Nebraska was usually competitive and sometimes good. We need to get back to that stage first.
December 26th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
@Count
Agreed. We did have a nice run from about 93 until 99-2000. I think with the guys we had then, if Doc was there coach, things could’ve been different. I am optimistic that DS will get it done in Lincoln IF we can keep him. All these contracts getting thrown around and DS is the only one who has steadily bettered his program. The crowds at the Devanyer Center have never been the same since Collier took over and chased everyone away with “Nap Time at the Devaney”. DS has slowly brought the enthusiasm and fire back to the arena and they have not played a game yet that I have been bored with. Every game Nebraska plays it has the opportunity to reverse the BC (Barry Collier) experiment even more. Time will tell, but I think we’ll be alright!
December 27th, 2007 at 6:59 am
sorry I should have typed their, not there coach.
December 27th, 2007 at 7:06 am
Shows how much I know about it. I have been to a grand total of two games in my life and Devaney was packed both times, guess I assumed it was always like that. I will make it a point to get to more. Nothing succeeds like success though. Look at what winning a few games and making it to the ’show’ in Omaha did for crowds at NU baseball games (granted a multi-million dollar new stadium didn’t hurt any). My wife and I used to go to games at the ‘Buck’ in the early to mid nineties and you could find larger crowds at a little league game. Completely different story now days.
December 27th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Maybe all we have to do is build a multi-million $ basketball arena…
December 27th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
lol, you could be on to something Pete.
December 27th, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Too bad Steve Pederson is gone.
December 28th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Yeah, that is a cryin shame.
January 2nd, 2008 at 4:01 pm
@HUSKERBRAD
I know your on vacation but, come on where is the Alcorn State breakdown. You are a slacker and you will be talked sternly to when you return.
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:53 pm
@RTD
I just called Ed ( no not you ED ) and he is bringing you a late present, but then he will “borrow” it and you won’t ever get it back. Cut me some slack man I am, after all, looking at a beach and ocean all day! So what if it is on my screen saver, it’s still better than what you are looking at!