There are bad starts to a game, and then there’s what happened to Nebraska(4-5) Saturday afternoon.
Just eight minutes into the game, Nebraska was 2-of-13 from the field, while Creighton(7-2) had already made five threes to lead 21-4. The Huskers wouldn’t break double digits until a Dachon Burke jumper with 4:15 left in the half. That made the score 40-11.
“Give Creighton credit. They obviously came out and threw the first punch, and the second, third and fourth punches as well,” said coach Fred Hoiberg. “And we just didn’t handle it well. We’ve got to find a way to learn from it and be better the next time we step on the floor.”
The Huskers needed 15 points in the final five minutes of the half to push their shooting to 23.5-percent. The Bluejays, with a 48-22 lead at the break, were shooting 51.5-percent, including 8-of-16 on threes.
Nebraska would find it’s shooting in the second half, to the tune of a blazing 61.3-percent, but the deficit was too much as Creighton coasted to a 95-76 victory.
“I think it got to the point that we didn’t start playing more and more together until we were in that hole,” said junior guard Thorir Thorbjarnarson. “And we’ve got to get better at that. We have to come prepared right out of the gate and throw the first punch ourselves.”
Thorbjarnarson ended the game as one of five Huskers in double figures, scoring 12 points. Haanif Cheatham paced Big Red with 14 points.
Nebraska hasn’t won in Omaha since 2004, and Creighton now holds a 27-26 lead in the all-time series.
“It’s a big game for our entire state and we won it handily,” said Creighton coach Greg McDermott.
Marcus Zegarowski led the Bluejays with 30 points and nine rebounds while Ty-Shon Alexander added 22 points.
The Huskers are in the middle of a road stretch that continues Friday December 13 at Indiana. The next home game is Sunday December 15 against Purdue.
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