Some teams live and die with the three point shot. On Thanksgiving, Nebraska (1-1) died.
The Huskers shot a school record 41 times from beyond the arc, only making nine, in a 69-66 loss to Nevada (2-0) at the Golden Window Classic from Pinnacle Bank Arena.
“I thought we had some good really ones,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said. “But unfortunately those didn’t go in. And then I thought we forced (threes). I thought we had too many forced shots where we didn’t continue to trust the offense.”
Nebraska started the game just 1-of-10 shooting but was forcing turnovers and missed shots on the other end to lead 4-0 and eventually stretch that lead to 10-2. Hoiberg says that lead should have been more.
Nebraska’s Trey McGowens (left) and Thorir Thorbjarnarson pressure the ball during Thursday’s loss to Nevada in the Golden Window Classic. (Photo Courtesy Nebraska Athletics Communications Office
“Our energy at the beginning of the game defensively was absolutely off the charts,” Hoiberg said. “Getting deflections, getting runouts, we just didn’t convert. That cost us.
“We could have very easily, instead of being up 10, been up 16 or 20 had we made those early layups and free throws.”
The Huskers missed their first four layups and dunks before a string of six missed threes during a 4:13 scoreless run. That’s when Nevada took advantage, tying the game at 15 then letting junior guard Desmond Cambridge Jr. take over the game.
Cambridge scored the next 13 Wolf Pack points, and 16 of the final 20 to give the visitors a 35-29 lead at half.
“I didn’t love our body language at the end of that first half,” Hoiberg said. “That’s the first thing I got onto them at halftime.”
And the players responded with a renewed energy to start the second half. The Huskers shot 8-of-16 to go on a 26-10 run and lead 55-45 with 9:34 in the game.
The next six minutes were all Wolf Pack, though, as Nevada answered with a 17-3 run to take the lead 62-58.
Nebraska guard Teddy Allen shoots over a Nevada defender during the Golden Window Classic. Allen shot 3-of-11 from the field but made 9-of-13 free throws to finish with 17 points in the 69-66 loss. (Photo Courtesy Nebraska Athletics Communications Office)
Despite Nebraska missing 11 consecutive shots shots from the field, a Lat Mayen three and a Delano Banton converted and-1 gave the Huskers a 66-64 lead with under a minute. Following two made Wolf Pack free throws, Nebraska had the ball with 43 seconds in a tied game.
Mayen drove to the left of the lane but got tripped up and turned the ball over. Nevada ran the clock down, where Grant Sherfield drained a three from the top of the key and 6.8 seconds remaining.
Following a Nebraska timeout, the Huskers didn’t get a backside flare open and a last second shot from Banton missed the mark, giving Nevada the 69-66 win.
“Every loss is a learning experience,” Banton said. “We are going to go back and watch film and figure out the things that we did good and the things that we did bad, and we are going to go back tomorrow and piece it all together and get ready for our game on Saturday.”
Banton once again stuffed the stat sheet, scoring a team-high 18 points while adding team-highs of seven rebounds and five assists.
Teddy Allen (17) and Kobe Webster (13) also scored in double figures. Allen led the team with five steals.
The Huskers shot just 18-of-62 on the day, attempting on 21 shots inside the arc. A positive when compared to last season: the free throw shooting. Nebraska made 21 of 30 free throws on the day.
Defensively, Nebraska forced 21 turnovers. The Huskers have forced 48 turnovers through two games this season, committing only 19 themselves.
Nebraska is next in action Saturday morning in the final game of the Golden Window, taking on North Dakota State (0-1).
Game Notes
-Dalano Banton’s 18 points marked the second straight game he broke a career high in points, as he had 14 against McNeese State on Wednesday. He also had five assists and has an 11-to-3 assist-to-turnover ratio in NU’s first two games.
-Teddy Allen finished with a career high five steals, the second straight game he has eclipsed his career high. Allen has eight steals this season after recording just 13 in 35 games at West Virginia in 2017-18.
-Nebraska finished with nine turnovers, the second straight game committing 10 or fewer turnovers.
-Nebraska’s 41 3-point attempts was a single-game record, breaking the mark of 37 set against Kansas on Feb. 24, 2002.
Feature Image Courtesy Nebraska Athletics Communications Office