Chris Balham
Nebraska, playing a ranked team for the second game in a row, did something they haven’t done since 1999 by beating a ranked opponent back to back. The Huskers played one of their most complete games of the season in a 66-59 upset of 22nd ranked Texas A&M at home. The crowd was taken out the game early as NU jumped to a lead and never let it go until the 8 minute mark of the second half. Even George Herbert Walker Bush, who was in attendance, couldn’t help the Aggies out as NU just had too much mojo to be beat today.
NU took an early lead and never looked back, leading 32-25 at the half. The Huskers received a balanced offensive attack paced by Ryan Anderson and Chris Balham, both with six points. Balham tied his career high in points during the first half, but that would soon fall. C.B. played the best game of his career, scoring 10 points, but none was prettier than the screen and roll dunk that he threw down in emphatic fashion to lead a Husker charge. Steve Harley, after his career game against K-State, continued his impressive ways by aggressively going after the basket and hitting key pull up jumpers. Harley, along with Sek Henry, led all Huskers with 11 points. Sek Henry played another energetic game and after missing his first two 3 pointers Henry connected on two very important treys late in the game.
Texas A&M came out with great energy to start the second half. The crowd was swaying and getting into the game and the calls were all going the Aggies way. TAMU closed a once 9 point gap methodically and went on a 7-0 run to lead NU for the first time all game, 53-50. NU forced a loose ball that Cookie Miller was chasing down when an Aggie barreled into his shoulder, causing Miller to leave the game with an undisclosed shoulder injury. Bad call number one was the foul the refs called on Miller while he lay on the floor writhing in pain. After an unsuccessful A&M offensive sect, NU brought the ball up the floor with Steve Harley who found Aleks Maric on the low post. Maric, who finished without a double double for the first time in 7 games with 10 points and 5 rebounds, threw the ball back out to Sek on the wing and he knocked down a 3 to tie it at 53 all. Bad call number two soon followed when after getting some pressure, a TAMU player bounced the ball off his own knee and out of bounds. The refs didn’t know what to call so they went with the possession arrow, which favored Texas A&M. Doc Sadler was very livid and, I would say, pretty close to getting T’d up. The two teams traded a couple of baskets when, with just over a minute remaining, Sek took a screen and a couple of dribbles and knocked down another 3 to lead for good, 60-57. Steve Harley added 4 clutch free-throws, while Jay-R Strowbridge added another, and NU had two of their 3 offensive rebounds to close out the game for the Huskers.
WOW, what a game. I can’t remember the last time I talked to my T.V. so much during a basketball game. NU finally found out what will work last week when they played KSU. Aggressive moves to the baskets by our guards will bring the double team and open up the middle all day long. NU worked the screen and roll to perfection today and some of the passes that came out of those were nothing short of awesome! Ryan Anderson had some of the best passes I have seen at NU since Tyronn Lue and when Balham was on the court, there was an athleticism that hasn’t been seen this entire year. Balham continues to impress me, even if he does need knee and shoulder surgery. Last year, C.B. looked almost scared to shoot and on Saturday he was feeling it all day, well at least for the 11 minutes he was in the game. Balham, shooting a crazy 74% from the field this year mainly from the paint, even knocked down a 12 footer with 30 seconds left on the shot clock when the game was close late. Luckily for him, he made it. I wouldn’t have wanted to go over to Doc Sadler after that shot if it was missed. Ryan Anderson had a tough assignment today guarding someone four inches taller and forty pounds heavier, but put in another stellar effort with 9 points, all on 3’s. R.A. had 4 steals to go with 5 assists and 2 boards, but played much bigger than his listed 6′4″, as he gave up nothing easy all day. It’s nice to see this team put it all together, unfortunately it looks like that might be without Cookie Miller now. There is still no word on his injury, but it didn’t look pretty. After watching Miller get up time and time again all year long, for him to stay down, it must be serious. Cookie has played huge all year long, but had been getting better and better as time has gone on. A team that doesn’t have him must go on, but it will be tough without him. Every player had a solid game today and the only bad stat that stands out is the less than 60% shot from the free throw line. NU finished 13-22 for 59.1 percent. Luckily for them they shot 59 percent from the field to offset their bad day from the charity stripe. I guarantee no coach wants to play this team right now and I could see NU making a run in the conference tournament, which starts March 13th in Kansas City. This team is definitely an NIT team, but it would be nice to get into the main event, not the consolation match.
Up next is Oklahoma at the Devaney Center on Wednesday the 27th. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 P.M. and there is no T.V. as of yet so a stream from 1110 KFAB might have to do.
[see the box score courtesy of Huskers.com]
