 "Photo: Patrick Breen")
KANSAS CITY - Two minutes into the second half of its quarterfinal game Thursday, it seemed the clock had finally struck midnight for Nebraska.
The Cornhuskers’ Cinderella Big 12 Conference Tournament run seemed all but over when No. 23 Texas A&M scored seven straight points to take a 16-point lead.
But Nebraska had one last surprise left up its sleeve.
The Huskers managed to fight back and trimmed A&M’s lead to 54-53 with 4:24 left in the game.
The team’s comeback hopes quickly unraveled from there, though, and NU’s glass slipper officially shattered with a 70-64 loss in the tournament’s second round at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.
“I’m just shocked,” Nebraska senior guard Sek Henry said. “I felt we were going to win this game, especially with how things all flipped over for us in the second half. I really thought we’d finish strong in the end, but they hit some big shots.”
Once the teams lead fell to one point, Aggie guard Donald Sloan answered with a 3-pointer in the corner. He pushed A&M’s lead to seven points with a running floater two minutes later to put the game out of reach.
Sloan scored eight of his game-high 23 points in the game’s final eight minutes and added four assists for the Aggies.
“He’s a great offensive player and a great talent,” NU guard Brandon Richardson said. “We contained him well and he made shots. That’s what great players do, they make shots.”
Texas A&M went scoreless for nearly six minutes midway through the second half, a slump that permitted the Huskers to trim its deficit from 13 points to two.
“We kept chipping away, and at that time we were always thinking the next shot was going in and that things were turning our way,” Henry said.
The loss leaves Nebraska with a 15-18 record, but Sadler said that record isn’t indicative of the effort and relentlessness his team gave him Thursday.
“I think we’re closer than what a lot of people may think,” he said. “The thing that’s difficult to have is a character team, especially today.
“There are not many teams that would’ve been 2-14 and given the effort that they continue to give every day,” Sadler said. “That tells me there’s some character here.”
That character helped Nebraska overcome a rough start to its quarterfinal matchup. The Huskers struggled early on to find open shots and make the defensive switches necessary to counter the Aggies’ aggressive offense.
Texas A&M jumped out to a 20-10 lead in the game’s first 10 minutes and led by 12 with eight minutes left in the half when Sadler called for a crucial defensive adjustment.
The Huskers ditched its man defense in favor of a 2-3 zone, and the switch quickly paid dividends. A&M settled for more long-range shots and missed on five of its next seven field goal attempts.
“It kind of disrupted them,” Anderson said of the defensive adjustment. “They’re a real penetrating team and they rebound really well, so it took them out of their rhythm and forced them to take more outside shots.”
Anderson led the Huskers with 16 points in what could be the final game of his senior season.
When asked to describe his emotions following the game, Anderson went silent. He looked down and tried to hold back his tears.
His season might not be over just yet. Nebraska could get offered a spot in either the College Basketball Invitation or CollegeInsider.com Basketball Tournament.
Both 16-team tournaments would start Tuesday, but Sadler isn’t so sure he’d accept such an opportunity.
“Spring break’s next week, and these guys have been through a tough year,” he said. “They’ve given me everything they’ve got. We’ll see.”
For Henry, the answer is obvious.
“It would mean a lot to me,” he said. “I love playing ball, no matter what. I’m a basketball player, it’s what I love to do.”
maxolson@dailynebraskan.com
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