BOULDER — After claiming his first Big 12 Conference victory, Colorado men’s basketball coach Jeff Bzdelik saw no reason to sip champagne. Too much work lies ahead.
And like with his team, nothing’s fancy.
“I’m going to take my wife to Champs and have a cheeseburger,” Bzdelik said, when asked how he would “celebrate” Tuesday night’s 55-51 squeaker over Nebraska in the Coors Events Center.
If Bzdelik had his druthers, the host Buffaloes would have breezed in a blowout so he could have at least relaxed a bit during the first conference home game. That’s not going to happen in the Big 12.
“Nebraska is an excellent defensive team . . . but I’d like to see a little more pop to our offense,” Bzdelik said. “Our only chance is to scrap and claw.”
Senior guard Richard Roby said that’s precisely what was going through his mind as he beat a Nebraska defender along the baseline for a layup with 29 seconds left to give Colorado a 53-49 cushion and allow a crowd of 5,773 to finally exhale.
“My shots weren’t falling early,” said Roby, who finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three blocked shots and a steal. “So I knew I had to do other things to help.”
After a slam dunk by Nebraska’s 6-foot-11 Aleks Maric with 5.2 seconds showing, Xavier Silas converted two free throws with 4.4 ticks left to clinch it.
Fries with that cheeseburger, sir?
“It was not pretty . . . (but) I am really proud of this team,” Bzdelik said, after watching his first Colorado team improve to 9-7, including 1-1 in the Big 12.
The Buffs still struggle at times to follow Bzdelik’s orders and get in passing lanes. But the coach had to feel good that his team implemented the game plan. That was to fight fire with fire. Or in this case, defense with defense.
Nebraska (11-4, 0-2) arrived ranked first among Big 12 teams in scoring defense (55.3). Entering the game, the Cornhuskers had held nine of their 14 opponents to 53 points or less.
Colorado managed 55 points against the pressure man-to-man. And that’s with limiting Nebraska to its lowest point total of the season.
Freshman guard Cory Higgins topped the Buffs with 13 points. Nebraska got 18 points from its top rookie, 5-7 jet Cookie Miller, but Maric, who has been a pain to the Buffs for four years, was limited to 14 points, two below his average.
NEBRASKA (11-4, 0-2 BIG 12)
Maric 5-9 4-5 14, Henry 2-3 3-4 7, Dagunduro 1-3 0-0 2, Miller 6-10 2-2 18, Anderson 1-6 3-4 6, Harley 0-5 0-0 0, Strowbridge 0-6 0-0 0, Ping 0-1 0-0 0, Velander 1-4 1-2 4, Balham 0-0 0-0 0, Salomon 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-47 13-17 51.
COLORADO (9-7, 1-1)
King-Stockton 0-0 3-5 3, Hall 4-11 0-2 9, Higgins 5-10 1-2 13, Silas 2-8 4-5 8, Roby 4-10 3-4 12, Thorne II 0-0 0-0 0, Knutson 2-5 2-2 8, Jackson-Wilson 1-2 0-2 2, Beckley 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-46 13-22 55.
Halftime — Colorado 25-22. 3-point goals — Nebraska 6-20 (Miller 4-8, Velander 1-3, Anderson 1-4, Harley 0-1, Henry 0-1, Strowbridge 0-3), Colorado 6-19 (Higgins 2-4, Knutson 2-5, Roby 1-4, Hall 1-5, Silas 0-1). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — Nebraska 32 (Anderson, Maric 9), Colorado 37 (Roby 10). Assists — Nebraska 9 (Henry, Maric, Miller 2), Colorado 11 (Hall 4). Total fouls — Nebraska 20, Colorado 14. A — 5,773.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
